The Boy and His Fox
by gottahavekyuubi
Summary: While they say not all who wander are lost, some always get the shittiest hand in life. Found at the wrong place, at the wrong time; a series of events unfold that go from bad to worse. Ahri finds herself mistaken for another and ends up sealed in our favorite blond. "At this point, I can't be surprised anymore. Oh well." She laughed. "Naruto. Don't you trust me?" Naruto x Ahri
1. Those Fateful Encounters

**Hola, so I've been playing League of Legends non-stop recently  
** **So much so that it got me thinking.  
** **(My mains are Ahri, Master Yi, Akali and occasionally Garen)**

 **In my slight obsession over League, I delved into the lore of Ahri  
** **And a few of my favorite characters (Katarina x Garen is my LoL OTP)  
and I came up with this story :3  
judging by how massive this opening chapter is, I can only hope that this fanfiction  
becomes epic in length!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Those Fateful Encounters**

The leaves rustled softly in the winds of Ionia. Calm and steady, it whispered against her fair skin. In the calm of this beautiful day, her tails swished about as sweetly as can be. Around her, other Gumiho played and danced; like any other day in the Tevasa Mountains of the island country. Her orange eyes examined the scene before her leaving her with a sore emptiness. She took off through the trees, adoring the rush of the breeze and the scents of Runeterra. But there was always one that caught her attention.

With an agile turn and twist of her body, one of nine tails shot forth, grabbing upon a branch. Wind sped through her face, grasping her in its embrace. She reveled in the feeling as she landed upon a single branch. What she saw sent shivers of excitement through her bones with a tinge of curiosity. She tilted her head, hearing the conversation of the humans; smelling their food and concoctions.

Resting her back against the trunk, she watched them; ever so carefully. With the mountains to the North; the forest was their guard to the South. Through the village came a small river from the East that drove a lumber mill, leaving the inhabitants open to attack from their completely undefended western side. With the coast not too far. But none of that mattered; she wanted to know more of these people; these humans. They intrigued her. Unlike any other she'd come across; they were nothing like the Gumiho she knew and always encountered.

It had been weeks since her 'reconnaissance' had begun. The villagers numbered no more than one hundred and they always worked and still played. Children laughed and mothers would scold them. Fathers would work in the fields and cut trees. As early as it was, Ahri stayed where she was, not once leaving her watch for food or water. They worked from the early morning sun when the sun had fallen and moons had come to illuminate Runeterra in its absence. Through the song of crickets and whispering flower and fauna, she could hear the families talk and laugh as they convened over their simple dinners. She was intrigued; definitely intrigued.

Each house was different and had a unique design to it. Despite the lack of population like some of the other slightly more populated towns of Ionia, the village had enough identity to keep the playful fox's attention as greatly as it did. Within each hovel and cottage, a flickering flame was seen, dancing beneath the dim light of the moons. From one of the many chimneys a dark column of smoke had risen, climbing above the great ancient trees. The thick smoke carried the scent of Applewood and sizzling meat. Both, the young fox adored. Humans were amazing to her and she direly wanted to be accepted. There were women who might have been her sisters if only she had the courage to speak to them. The men who could have been great friends and father figures. Cooked dinners, and family to speak to…Ahri wanted that.

As quiet as a fox, her tails wrapped around the trunk, fur scraping against the rough bark, to hold her steady. A family had finished their dinner earlier than usual. With a small curious grin plastered on her whiskered face, she watched them clean their tables and wash their wooden plates and spoons. From the small dining area of the cottage, children ran about, laughing and shouting with glee. They took their pets with them and ran about into the night for one last game. But then, Ahri froze against her branch. The whiskers on her cheeks shivered and shook against the change in Nature's breath. Orange eyes trailed down to see a young child venturing too close to her forest.

Humans were never kind to the ones not like them. Especially to Gumiho. Unwrapping her tails, she jumped back with magic and energy radiating off of her legs. Tails acting on impulse, they shot out grabbing onto nine different branches, never once breaking the songs of the crickets in the night. Leaves rustled never changing in the winds, keeping her in the shroud of darkness. The human child walked up to the forest but stopped at the behest of its parents. They cried out to it, calling its name and making quick motions, signaling their distress.

Ahri looked down, nose and senses twitching. Unwrapping her tails, she dropped down a few feet, landing upon a lone branch. Directly beneath her; a wolf larger than three children combined was on its haunches, pacing closer to the barking dog and the terrified child. With a raised hand, magic began to flow into her palm, almost growing in brightness and size. Surely it would give away her position, but she was not going to risk the little human's life.

"Back! Back animal!" A man cried out with a torch strapped to the end of a pitchfork shaft. "Stay back!"

Cutting her aura short, the glowing ball of Fox Fire diminished, leaving her in the infinite emptiness of night. The wolf beneath her whimpered, snarled and even paced in front of the fire wielding human. Its teeth were barred and the canines protruded. The beast glared heat at the humans, walking up to the man only to back away once the fire was waved quickly enough. Ahri watched in amusement and honest joy to see the wolf bested by nature. Fire was nothing to be afraid of if you were a Gumiho. Channeling magic to her feet and legs, she rushed up to the air, tails banded together to keep from breaking the silent night.

Landing upon the tallest branch, she spared the village a final look of endearment. Humans and the way they interacted was amazing and confusing to the young Gumiho. Wrapping her hands around the smaller branches at the peak of the ancient trees that populated and decorated Ionia, she caught sight of the young child staring at her as it was pulled back to their cottage. The child was amazed at what it saw and Ahri felt something beat heavily in her chest. While the child meant little to nothing to her, she could see and feel the life force within it.

 _So…innocent._ She stared lovingly at the child.

It was at that moment, Ahri knew the humans have a chance to become friends. The child beamed at her silhouette, teeth glimmering in the moons' light above. She smile softly and slipped into the shroud of cover. Leaves and branches snapped and bent as she distanced herself from the village. Her tails extended and wrapped tightly around branches as she swung across like vines. It wasn't long before she arrived at her small hovel in the middle of the forest at the base of the Tevasa Mountains. The other Gumiho had left, heading home to their respective caves or dens.

Heaving a soft sigh, the woman, or Gumiho, stretched her back and arms before succumbing to the beauty of sleep.

* * *

Winds were cool, sifting through the world. Green blades of grass tickled the Gumiho's face. A yawn escaped her lungs and with it, sleep had disappeared. She shot from the ground, scratching behind her fox ears and taking in her surroundings. Crawling from the underbrush and the entrance to her hovel, she rolled about in the whirling grass that only seemed to speed in the rushing winds of Ionia. Something was different. The winds were stronger and carried with it a… _sadness_? Ahri sprang from the grass, eyes springing left and right; ears twitching and nose sniffing the air.

Something wasn't right.

 _Where are the other Gumiho?_

Ahri, with a quick thought, her Hanbok of red and white had exploded into a show of beautiful red flame. In its wake, was revealed a corset of leather dyed red with silk to cover her bust. Around her waist, a war-maiden's waist guard dyed red had replaced the beautiful sash. The long sleeves of her standard attire had disappeared to reveal a pair leather gauntlets that reveled and amplified the growing balls of fire. But what caught the eye; her formerly white tails of snow had been darkened with orange fur; ablaze in the inferno of Fox Fire.

She glared at the surroundings, taking in the different sounds rushing up to meet her. Twitching and feeling a dark foreboding in her heart, she sped forward, free of distractions from her clothing. Taking to the air, her tails went to work, grabbing onto branches to propel her further. Her feet bounced against the branches as she headed closer to the epicenter of the commotion. She ventured deep into the woods but froze the instant, the tiny village against the Tevasa Mountains had caught her attention.

Without a second thought, she dashed towards the mountain village and came to a skidding halt just before her position could be seen. Villagers were in commotion, running and screaming for fear of what was to come. She couldn't comprehend what perturbed the humans so terribly. Men and women clamored for what little they had, pushing and fighting their way towards the east. Ahri was confused. She jumped through the trees, bursting through the canopy, taking no time to stay hidden this time around. Her eyes scanned the horizon with her ears and nose adding to her radar.

A great distance to the South, fires and smoke could be smelled. She could hear shouting and warring men and women. The clash of blades and the explosions of magic and firearms. Dropping a few feet, her eyes landed on the human village to find many of the inhabitants had fled for fear of what was to come. All that remained was nothing short of the handful. But her orange eyes softened at the sight of the terrified child from the night before. The dog barked and whimpered all the same sensing the impending danger.

Racing down to the lower branches, her tails bunched together shrinking her silhouette. In the dull yet bright sun of this morning, she could be easily spotted if she wasn't careful. Nevertheless, she needed to see what was wrong. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. Like a fox, she fell upon her hands like paws and took off through the forest, leaving the remaining humans to their fate. With magic radiating off of her boots and a heart beating with determination, she plowed through the flora and fauna until she came upon a familiar scene.

 _What are these people doing…?_ Ahri asked herself.

Men with armor as red as blood were marching through her clearing in the forest at the base of the Tevasa Mountains. There were ten at the most that she could see. She could smell and hear more, but that could have just been a massive battle raging on behind them. While she had little to no understanding of what nations or politics were, something within her ticked and told her these men were not on the side of the villagers. Something told her, the people she had slowly begun to fall for were in danger. But curiosity still tugged at her mind and heartstrings. She _wanted_ to know what these people would do.

Slowly but surely, another ten had followed suit. Each one adorning faces that spelled rage and the intent to kill. She watched them march across the field with weapons singing and clanging in the dimming light of day.

 _The sun is already setting?!_ Ahri couldn't believe that she had been running back and forth through the forest all day already. _What do these people want? Where are they from?_

The men walked calmly, striding through, kicking at her cottage and even breaking down the door. Ahri felt nothing and watched in silence. What they were doing confused her and even sent sparks of worry through her spine. With a scratch at her fox ears, she took off through the forest wood once more, leaving the force of twenty men behind.

But she wasn't careful.

In the distance, she raced through the trees heading towards the great commotion her ears kept hearing and the great battle her nose continued to smell. As she grew closer, she could hear their shouts, their roars and even worse; their deaths. Men and women clawed at one another, flashing steel and firearms. Men and women fell left and right, but she just couldn't see them; not yet. The forest stretched from Tevasa to the southern most states of Ionia, but the journey couldn't have been any longer. As jumped, rushed and even used her magic to propel her forward, breaking and snapping even the thickest of branches if she missed.

It was all for nothing.

Before her, a scene straight out of a nightmare had portrayed itself. She collapsed to a knee and sniffed the battlefield. Smoke billowed into the air and corpses dotted the horizon. Men and women lay in shallow graves, swords in their stomachs and bullets in their lungs. There was so much death that the young fox couldn't even comprehend. Taking to all fours, she carefully examined the corpses as she passed through.

"H-Help…" A man whispered amidst the destruction and carnage.

She crawled up to the man, tails burning with fire and eyes like embers. He laid in the dirt surrounded by corpses of the same red armored men. In his stomach a great dagger had been embedded. Blood slowly trickled from his dry lips and an empty color had taken his probably vibrant blue eyes. He choked against the blood filling his lungs. She held him, feeling his heart beat slowly. He wanted to say something but his life was quickly fleeing.

Something within her triggered and she rested her right hand against his chest in an attempt to ease his pain; at least that's what she told herself. The man's breath went from calm to rustling and pained. She'd never felt such a sensation. His life force and magic began to pour into her, filling her with a euphoria unlike any other. It was intoxicating and overwhelming. But as the sensation had fled, she had come to find that she had become stronger and the world around her seemed far more vivid and clear. Her senses heightened and her abilities and strength had increased.

 _Someone followed me._

She rushed forward at the whisper of arrows nocking against their bow shafts. Ember-like eyes burned like fire as three orbs of fox fire ignited around her. In her right palm a great ball of red spherical fire had formed, glowing with a magical intensity unlike anything before. She glared at the men in front of her, immediately realizing that their intentions were to kill and maim. Without a thought, she rushed at the men as they drew their bows.

Unbeknownst to her, the orbs of fox fire shot out at three different men respectively. The three were blown back with a force of a great hammer and left dust and magic residue in their place. The remaining seven released their arrows, two grazing her bare right shoulder, leaving soft cuts against her otherwise smooth skin. She dodged and rolled through the dirt, kicking up dead men, letting their armor and corpses take the brunt of these belligerents assault. With a quick thought, she hurled the great ball of magic towards the men nocking arrows once again.

The captain roared a command that Ahri didn't comprehend and rushed out towards the forest. As she ran their screams and shouts of agony that run in her fox ears with an intense echo. Taking but a moment to look back, the men dodged her orb but didn't realize that she could call it back whenever she wanted to. The arcane energy killed them where they stood and even stole something from them that they could never take back.

When the orb was absorbed into her flesh, the life essence of these men was taken as well, sending the woman in a near delirious state. Ten men were struck down thanks to the new and improved control she had over her abilities. She paused to take in the scents of Ionia once more. The winds had redirected bringing the smoke and terror from the village at the base of the Tevasa Mountains. As the euphoria wore off, her tails grabbed onto branches and swung her forward. With time definitely not on her side, she had few choices and wanted to protect the village.

She was curious but damned if she let the innocent die. Especially the humans she so dearly enjoyed and endeared. Taking a deep swing with all the magic she could muster, she sprang through the forest canopy and for a few moments flew through the air only to see greater smoke plumes in the sky in the far distance. In the Guardian Sea that separated Ionia from Valoran, the fox could see a fleet of ships bearing banners from the land she didn't know. There were many that sent magical blasts and canon fire upon the cities of the coasts of Ionia. From the ships, even smaller boats floated to the coast.

She descended to the first branch she could reach. None of this made sense. Who were these people? What were they after? Without a second thought, she took off once more, leaving the worry and the fear for another date. Right now, she could sense the village was in danger. She could smell their fear and their terror radiating like beacons of magic. She paused, sniffing once more. The scent of horses came into her nostrils, tickling her brain. Dropping to all fours, she pounced from branch to branch, covering great distances.

It was then that she found them. The scent of death followed the group like an aura. She crouched through the underbrush, doing her best to keep out of sight. Having fought in enough battles herself; she knew these men were intending nothing short of death. They walked nervously with their hands never leaving the weapons strapped to their backs and hips. Ahri berated herself, deliberately keeping as great a distance as she could. She was certain the captain had caught her position. She was certain he knew where she was; but not a thing was done.

They continued on their path through the forest, pushing closer to the mountains at a dangerous pace. Ahri wanted to deal with these men first hand, but she wanted to know more. With a rush of magic, she disappeared from their rear and took to the trees. Leaves rustled at her arrival, but nothing tipped the Noxians below. They continued on their march and a few even decided to lower their paranoid defense. Ahri was intrigued.

 _What are they here for?_ Her tails fanned out, casting a dark shadow as the sun began to set.

She followed until the village came into view. These men were too close; too close to her beloved humans. Suddenly, the Noxian captain turned to the seven men remaining in him employ and spoke softly, giving orders that the Gumiho couldn't understand. Ahri crept closer to the troupe without second guessing her position.

Suddenly, seven hands reached for seven arrows.

" **Now!** " The Noxian captain hollered.

Arrows shredded through the air, slicing at the bark of trees and even cutting her skin. Jumping back, the flames of her swishing tails created the perfect diversion for the Gumiho. From behind cover, she raised her hand to the sky, relishing in the feeling of her spirit coalesce within her palm. In her _Fox-Fire_ form as she dubbed it, her energy had taken the color of red and green. Her tails fanned out once more, spreading in all directions, reminiscent to a demon and tendrils.

The Noxians nocked their arrows once more, preparing for the inevitable. Without a glance, three motes of swirling flame were birthed. Dodging another volley of arrows, the three motes exploded outwards, engulfing the first three in her vicinity. They roared out in horror as the fox fire melted through their flesh and armor. It wasn't long before all that remained of the three were smoking husks. Once more, the men nocked their arrows and prepared the draw.

 _Not today._ Ahri glared, coiling her tails.

With a quick motion, she was propelled towards the first tree she saw. The Noxians were too slow for the cunning fox. She darted from branch to branch, dodging arrow after arrow, leaving the men frustrated. She smirked and quickly returned to the fight, a new burning look in her eyes. A Noxian rushed at her, swinging and lunging for her with a knife. Unfortunately, Ahri was too quick, dodging and evading each attack with masterful agility and speed. She danced around her opponent before she finished the job and ended his life.

Amused, Ahri took to the trees, full intent on using her favorite weapon in her arsenal. Leaping once more to the trees, she made great bounds closing great distances. Once she reached her preferred height, she took notice of the Noxian captain crouched between the overgrown tree roots with his bow drawn and ready. She knew, if she slipped up and gave him enough time; he could put that arrow in between her eyes. With the dusk and twilight past as her shroud, she silently crept down towards the wary captain. She spoke to him, words laced with beguiling power.

" _Human…come to me._ "

The captain's features went slack and he placed his bow down against the base of the tree. Without a will of his own, he walked from the cover of the roots to meet the woman eye-to-eye. He stared at her with passion and desperation combined in a terrible mixture.

" _Climb._ "

Without hesitation, the Noxian captain rested his palms against the tree trunk, not even releasing a grunt against the splinters. In his enthralled rush for the footholds, Ahri summoned a sphere of luminous energy. As it grew in power within her palm, its innocence belayed the immense power residing within. She drew back her arm in preparation, giving herself a ghost of a vulpine grin before hurling the orb downward.

The orb streaked through the Noxian before returning back to Ahri's palm, leaving the Noxian carcass to meet the forest floor with a resounding thud. The remaining scouts turned tail and fled, but Ahri would not let them get away so easily. Running became just as futile as hiding. She vaulted from branch to branch as she discarded of two men with booming bolts of arcane energy. Her eyes exploded with a burning fervor as the flames upon her tails flickered and danced. _There's only one remaining._

The final man fell, collapsing in a tangle of limbs, clutching his own broken bones in fear of the beast before him. Ahri hopped from her tree and gracefully landed next to the man, a soft grin stretched in the glow of the moons. The man hadn't realized it was nighttime already. His eyes burned with fury at the sight. She enjoyed his fear but decided that playing with him was only delaying. She grabbed him by his throat, digging her nails into his neck.

" _You brought this on yourself._ " She hissed as she hurled him with all of her power.

The instant his back met the tree, his life left him in the wake of powerful concussive force. Ahri was victorious.

But now; it was time to gain her prize.

While she was keener on letting humans keep their life; she was more than willing to take from the dying and dead. Kneeling and crawling about, she searched for one of the seven that had enough life force in them to feed her needs and ultimate dream. Sniffing and rummaging through the corpses, she found one with just enough. She placed her hands on either side of his face. The light of his essence flowed gracefully from his eyes and mouth, and the most thrilling and satisfying sensations filled Ahri. His humanity poured into her, and she felt the fox within her withdraw with every beat. Her tails curled in pleasure, her expressions euphoric.

Yet even lost in her glorious expression, Ahri's ears twitched. She could hear the sound of footsteps heading her way. The villagers, having heard the sounds of combat had come ready to investigate. Ahri's heart nearly stopped; they couldn't see her like this, draining what remained of a dying man's life essence. To their eyes, she would be a terrifying monster; a damnable half-breed, neither human nor beast.

Feeling a regretful pull at her heart, she tore away from her feast. Seeing the figures in the forest, she recognized men and women from the village that she watched from afar, remembering the friendship they might one day share.

But today was not that day, and Ahri turned to flee into the woods.

* * *

It had been many years since that fateful day.

Since then, the Gumiho had seen nothing but the destruction humanity could cause. While most of the reasons eluded her, confusing her, she was curious and did everything she could to learn more about the darkness in humanity. She travelled across the sea as a stowaway on a Noxian ship. Judging by their banners and the men and women dressed in red armor, she made it her goal to journey to their homeland. Maybe, she thought to herself, she might find a true way to turn herself into a human; without the destruction of more human lives; humans should be left to do that themselves.

Blood was on her hands and she had seen and done enough; from the men and women who died because of her to the ones who laid in her arms begging to die, and the others who were begging for life. Life that she could not give. She could feel the cry of their essence tremble within her grasp, but there was nothing she could do. For many years, she'd watched the humans destroy each other and even watched dark forces rise from the depths and the creation of great orders of warriors. In her years of travels, she even encountered a fellow animal that held human characteristics. A monkey that took pride in his skill with a bo-staff, his name was Wukong, and he was her only friend for a while.

Thinking back on the monkey brought the woman's thoughts upon that small village at the base of the Tevasa Mountains. The young child had died when the Noxians attacked again. The families had been slaughtered or displaced, and now Ahri had no idea where they could have gone. She just could not understand; how could humans attack innocent villagers?

Either way; that was in the past. Ahri told herself many times that it was not her fault, nor was it her job to protect the humans. No matter what she said or whispered to herself at night, it couldn't remove the void in her chest, a void that no matter how many lives she steals, it could not be filled. Thanks to her growing skills and power; she changed her outfit to disappear from Valoran. She wanted to travel as far as she could away from the _sole_ supercontinent of Runeterra.

For years she did mercenary work from Piltover to Noxus and even to Yordle Land. Along the way, she met an amazing cast of varying people and characters; as she put it. In Piltover, she met the beautiful sheriff, Caitlyn who was constantly dealing with the infamous Jinx. Ahri was completely in shock at the blue haired murder machine that plagued Piltover, but did everything she could to learn about Jinx's intentions. In the end, she watched a great shootout between the sheriff and the criminal, which neither won. Bullets rocked the scenery, putting holes in every wall. A few even whizzed past the Gumiho nearly taking her head!

In Noxus, she'd had a short run in with Katarina, the _Sinister Blade_ as she was called. The woman was honorable but vicious in every way. Ahri was at first wary of the woman, but she admired her tenacity and will to get missions done. Helping where she could, Ahri felt she'd made her first human friend. But learned that even with all the honor a human may hold; that Noxian dominance was too strong within Katarina, leaving the Gumiho to continue on her travels.

Leaving Valoran, she traveled to the Shadow Isles, expecting nothing more towards the north-west. But catching the sight of an unruly trade ship bearing bamboo masts and hull; she'd never seen such a vessel before and curiosity got the best of her. In the silence of night, she stowed away into the cargo hold, hidden from the sight of man and light. It wasn't long before night had disappeared and the dawn had broken across the watery horizon.

For weeks, the young Gumiho survived on salted and dried beef and loaves of bread. The trade ship pushed and shook against the beating the turbulent waters were dishing out. She stayed silent for weeks, listening to men and women run back and forth on the top deck. Storms raged above with thunder beating and clapping through the stormy nights and days. Ahri really wanted to come out from within the cargo hold but she didn't want to scare the crew.

 _I wonder if they know I'm here…._ Ahri would ask herself. _I wonder what they would do if they saw me…_

But thankfully, she never had to risk the chance of ridicule. The storms had calmed, ceasing their roar and cries. At the end of her journey, she found herself in a foreign land, far from Valoran, far from everything she knew. Great expanses of trees were all she could see. In almost every direction; the forest had gone off for eternity. They were great and ancient, reminding her of the forest near the Tevasa Mountains. Humans were here, but she hadn't run into their villages yet.

It was strange.

She could travel for miles and only run into terrified traders and goods peddlers, but never has she found where they came from or where they were heading. For a while, she even tried to follow after them, but found that they would spend too much time walking towards some unknown location and continue walking. Ahri was miffed, confused by the human's indifference to her appearance and their apathy to her. Not a single man or woman paid her any attention and continued off on their way. It was as if she was invisible.

Ahri huffed and continued off towards where she felt was civilization. Judging by the great gather of essence in that area, the Gumiho was feeling confident. For hours she traversed through great fields of grass and even climbed over mountains and climbed trees that could give the ancient trees of Ionia a run for their money. She was amazed at the scenery of this new land. It sent shivers up and down her spine; from the plateaus topped with tufts of green to the glimmering beauty of the sea to the east. But still; no humans.

The longer she lingered on that thought; the more depressing the land became. Dropping her back to the trunk, she slid against the branch she rested upon. Her heart beat softly but not once did regret surface. As the sun began to set, her first day in this new land was soon spent. She began to drift to sleep, her tails wrapping around branches to keep her steady. As her eyes dropped and heart beat calmly, a euphoric feeling spread from her chest and exploded in every direction, tingling and tickling her in every which way.

 _This_ was a great decision.

* * *

Well into the night; there was a great deafening bellow across the forest. It echoed, radiating from the mountains and spread about, just barely managing to be received by the snoring Ahri. Suddenly, she shot to her feet, tails bunched up behind her. Still groggy, her heart beat with worry in her chest. Her breath was short and her muscles were tense. Orange-brown eyes scanned the horizon finding flocks of birds taking to the air in their great formations; while others were fleeing in fear of what was to come. Ahri had never heard such a powerful screech in her life.

She dropped to all fours and crawled about the trees, jumping from branch to branch, keeping her white tails bunched together. Beneath the moon above, Ahri glimmered softly but thankfully; there weren't enough inhabitants around to truly notice her. She sniffed the air taking in an entirely new scent; it wasn't magic, it was something…else.

 _What could it be?_ Ahri asked herself.

She came to a stuttering halt upon the branches; eyes darting left and right. Her nose twitched as her tails writhed. Ears perked and her senses heightened. With a flick of her wrist; she was engulfed in a soft white flame, revealing a great fur coat colored a dark maroon to hide within the shade of the midnight moon. Her tails had even gained a darker hue mixing with the silvery light of the moon. But the centerpiece to her beauty, a tiara of silver and leather had formed on her head, wrapping around her scalp and perfectly shaping to her ears. The gems within were her Fox Beads, glowing with her essence.

She dropped to the lower branches of the trees, yet stayed almost twenty feet off the ground. She pounced ahead, keeping to the shadows. Below, deer, stags and the rest of the peaceful life were running in the same direction as the birds. Picking up speed, the Gumiho finally found her target.

It was a grand clearing within the forest, spreading in all directions. Tilting her head, she ceased channeling her magic. On one side of the field, almost twenty men dressed in red and blue armor stood with great swords that reminded Ahri of Garen Crownguard _the Might of Denacia_ and his massive blade. She and Katarina had encountered him enough for him to leave a lasting impression. Now that Ahri thought about it…

"Madara!" A voice cried out. "We don't have to fight. Stand down."

"Never, Hashirama." The man identified as Madara responded with a great bellow.

Ahri could feel the trees whither beneath his tone and volume. The winds shifted softly sending shivers throughout the cloaked Gumiho. There was a moment of silence.

 _What will they do now?_ Ahri wondered.

There were hundreds of armor clad men, each distinguishable by their armor or the crests they bore on their backs and headbands. She stayed silent and watched adamantly. Suddenly, great trees and entire streaks of wood sprang from the ground, tearing the landscape apart. Ahri jumped at the strange phenomenon. Across the field, Madara made strange hand signs that the Gumiho didn't recognize. Once he finished, he took a great breath that made his chest double in size.

" **Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!** "

A sea of fire launched from his mouth, engulfing the new trees and even a few of the red armored men and women. Almost instantly, after Hashirama and Madara's attacks met the men and women behind them took off, jumping almost twenty feet into the air. Swords clashed and small knives sung into the midnight air. Their powers were stronger than the magic she had seen in Ionia and Valoran. This was something completely beyond her.

Great streams of fire spread across the battlefield, engulfing even the forest that surrounded them. Men and women did what they could with what they had. But one thing that was constant among them; Ahri noticed they all needed to do a sequence of hand signs. While she couldn't decipher or memorize the order of which they did; each combination had a different effect. Each time, the effects were devastating. She didn't care for the humans and stared off towards the wildfire spreading throughout the forest. Animals screeched and ran as fast as they could.

The earth was ripped open as a great chasm had formed. Madara and Hashirama were the easiest to distinguish, since they both had the longest hair and the strongest life essence. She was amazed at their speed and skill, both seemed almost at equal strength. They punched, they kicked and they sent elemental blasts of…something. Their elements felt natural, but for some reason, Ahri could sense their essence residing within.

As the battle raged and the landscape was ruined beyond recognition, she found herself almost a mile away from where she first caught sight of their battle. The land had been destroyed, reformed and destroyed again. Their elemental techniques were terrifying. She was certain these _humans_ could give the Noxians a run for their money. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, the white haired man in blue armor with white fur covering his shoulders and nape, charged at a man that looked similar to Madara, hell their essence felt the same.

" **Hiraishingiri!** "

"Unbelievable!" Ahri rose to her feet.

The man disappeared in a flash similar to Master Yi. With a slash, the man was sliced through the abdomen, shooting blood in all directions.

"Izuna!" Madara roared over the settling chaos.

Ahri's ears perked softly. "Madara…you don't have the strength to continue fighting…"

"Please." Hashirama said with an even tone.

The one named Izuna coughed, spitting blood. "D-Don't trust them…brother…please."

From what the Gumiho could smell, the man was contemplating until his brother spoke out. What she saw was unlike anything she'd seen. With a quick hand seal, a great plume of smoke popped out of nowhere. Like she'd hoped, the two had disappeared adding on to her piquing curiosity. But in the wake of the battle, the men who wore black robes with white and red fans emblazoned on their backs began to surrender, falling to their knees with their hands raised high.

Now that the battle was over, the woman took off, detouring away from the destroyed scenery. Now she could return to her quest in peace.

* * *

The months past and Ahri had lost the scent.

There wasn't even a trail left behind.

Wherever this great beastly roar had gone, it was similar to Madara's disappearing technique. After the plume of smoke, Ahri had no idea where the man had went. No scent and definitely no trail. It was almost as if, like the Uchiha, the source of the roar had disappeared completely.

It was no matter to the Gumiho; she'd find it eventually. Of course, she'd asked herself why it even mattered when her sole purpose was to become human. She'd question her motives every day, every night. During her dinners and even during her baths. Every moment, she'd ask herself if it was even worth it.

She'd come to the conclusion that she just needed to shut the hell up and stop worrying about everything.

That was behind her now; she had finally caught up to the beast, having found great and incredible foot prints that darted the forested countryside. The sheer size made Ahri gawk with surprise. The prints were so large, she was certain she could sleep in them and fan her tails and still have more than enough room!

Without delay the Gumiho chased after the being who could've caused such monstrosities. But being the fox she was; a giggle slowly found its way to her lungs. To perfect her skill in the large jumps needed to get to the next paw print, Ahri took her time. Each time she landed, the giggle turned to laughter and from laughter to complete enjoyment.

But once the paw prints came to an end, her enjoyment ceased and a great feeling of worry replaced it. Before her slept a beast at least a thousand times larger than her. It was wrapped in its tails almost in a way similar to the way she would sleep. Curiosity got the better of her and she immediately advanced to the creature, amazement and terror held her in a vice-like grip. It was then that she counted the amount of tails.

 _A Gumiho this large?!_ Ahri was astounded, even trembling beneath the behemoth. _How is it possible?_

She backed away, doing her best not to wake the creature.

 _Snap!_

 **"Who dares to interrupt my sleep?!"**

The baritone shook the mountains; even the earth and trees bowed in reverence to such a voice. She had never heard such a voice, especially at that volume. She was surprised that her eardrums hadn't exploded yet. Intrigued, she walked ahead, finding the great nine-tailed fox was definitely more menacing awake than when he slept. But she most definitely wanted to know more.

"I did!" She cried from below. "Who are you?"

 **"How did a human find me?"** The beast asked, blood red eyes seething with a deep glow. **"No…you're no human."**

"No I am not." Ahri smiled. Fanning out her bushy white tails, she gave the fox a clever smirk. "What are you! I've never seen a Gumiho this large!"

 **"A…Gumiho?"** Kurama asked with a raised brow. **"What is a Gumiho?"**

"It's what you and I are!" Ahri tilted her head slightly. "A Nine-Tailed fox!"

 **"You don't look like a fox to me."** Kurama lowered his head, sniffing at the woman. The woman blushed at the sudden proximity of the larger, definitely more powerful beast in front of her. **"I smell a lot of human influence from you…why are you here _Gumiho_?"**

"I saw your footprints and…" Ahri paused, soft brown-amber eyes widened. "Why do you have a high concentration of human essence?!"

 **"Eh?"** Kurama gave her a look of confusion and even revulsion. **"Are Nine-tailed foxes stupid where you're from? I have no human essence within me! I hate humans!"**

"Eh?!" Ahri looked appaled. "How can you hate humans?!"

Kurama tilted his fox head. **"Don't tell me you're defending those damnable monkeys!"**

"Now, I understand humans take enjoyment in killing each other, but what gives you the right to say all humans are terrible?!" Ahri glared. Her tone changed from confusion to rage. "Have you even met humans, you big monster!"

 **"BAHAHA!"** Kurama bellowed with laughter. **"A cute little fox, so naïve. Humans are a curse, with no respect for nature, for chakra, hell, even for each other. How could you defend a species that whose very existence is based on exterminating your neighbors?"**

"Not all humans are terrible!" Ahri was adamant. "Sure they kill and hurt one another, but so do we!"

 **"We do it for more natural reasons."** Kurama glared, lowering his massive head to meet Ahri face to face. **"Your naivety is making my head hurt. These humans that you're so keen on defending fight and murder each other for ridiculous things like _country_ and _kingdom_ and greed. We do it to survive, for sustenance. Nine-tailed foxes from where you're from really are stupid."**

"Say what you want about humanity. I won't deny that they fight for stupid things, but even you have to have run into at least one good human!" Ahri glared. "And stop avoiding my question! Why do you have so much human essence! It's almost as if you're made completely of human essence!"

 **"Enough with the talk of human essence and _good_ humans!" **Kurama roared, cracking the mountains and even tore a few of the great trees from their roots. **"You obviously know nothing of how the _shinobi_ world works, you stupid girl! If you're not willing to accept the truth, then leave me be!"**

"Someone clearly pissed in your dinner." Ahri glared. "I knew it was a waste coming to a being like me. Why am I the only one that wants to be a human?"

She collapsed to the dirt below, tails swishing around her. As each one danced around her, she grabbed one and calmly stroked the fur, running her hands through the beautiful and soft follicles.

 **"Look."** Kurama sighed deeply, looking at the fellow nine-tailed fox. **"My name is…Kurama. For future reference, never use it. The humans are vicious and have attacked me too many times to count. They call me a monster, but use every weapon, every ninjutsu and every technique in their seemingly never ending arsenal to ensnare me."**

"Because they're scared? Containment…" Ahri asked. Kurama shook his head softly, running his chin against the dirt.

 **"No. They want me for the power I hold."** Kurama frowned. **"I understand that maybe, the humans you've run into weren't as bad…look at yourself then look at me…Ah…what's your name?"**

"Ahri."

 **"I don't suppose you have a surname; Ahri."** Kurama shut his eyes softly. **"You're the strangest thing I've seen in my many years of life. Kyuubi-no-Kitsune with the body and appearance of a human…I mean, a _Gumiho_."**

"It's the same thing I suppose." Ahri leaned back, pressing her hands against the dirt. "But…continue."

 **"I don't know why a nine-tailed fox would want to be a human."** Kurama frowned. **"It's strange to comprehend that you even look the way you do. But…if I were to walk to any of the human settlements and villages dotting the countryside, they'd immediately gather arms and try to kill me. But you; you're beautiful by human standards. They would look at you then maybe take precautions. Maybe they might attack you, but with their superficial nature, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to take advantage of you."**

"They wouldn't dare." Ahri gasped, mouth agape. "But if you're a monster, then so am I!"

 **"Tell me more, Ahri."** Kurama flashed her a cheeky smile before dropping it.

"I have powers that you don't even know of." Ahri smirked. "Humans wouldn't dare lift a finger in my direction if they knew what I am willing to do to complete my goal and be one of them."

 **"You steal their essence don't you?"** Kurama yawned. **"And you were just now wondering if I did the same. For your information; no. I didn't. My origin story is too long to say in a single sitting, but all you need to know is I am a being of pure physical strength and essence combined into one."**

"Sounds amazing…" Ahri smiled. "Just how powerful are you, Kurama?"

 **"What did I say about using my name?"** Kurama frowned. **"I am the most powerful of my brethren. There are nine of us."**

"Other foxes?" Ahri asked with bewilderment.

 **"No."** Kurama shook his head. **"They're eight different animals, each one progressively stronger than the other until it gets to me, the most powerful. I am beyond your comprehension."**

"So is your ego!" Ahri giggled.

 **"Heh."** Kurama laughed softly. **"You're not too bad, Ahri. If you don't mind me asking. Why do you want to be a human?"**

"I want the companionship that they share…" Ahri frowned. "The other Gumiho were great but none of us were a real family…and I don't know. I wish I had one."

 **"A…nice…dream I suppose."** Kurama sighed. **"What will you do now? Clearly you're in need of human essence. As someone who loves humans, you sure are willing to go to great lengths."**

"Not anymore…" Ahri looked down. "Take enough of their essence you begin to feel what they feel…the regret, the fear…I am looking at better alternatives than taking the lives from men and women."

 **"I'm sorry to tell you this Ahri, there are no alternatives."** Kurama frowned.

The woman stayed silent, eyes trailing to the dirt beneath the great fox. Kurama had a bored look in his burning vermilion eyes, but at least he was being tolerable of her. She thought he was going to eat her before, but now…she didn't know what to think of him. It was a welcome surprise in her opinion. Suddenly, a powerful gust of freezing wind shot by, stinging the Gumiho as it caressed her flesh. The hairs on her neck stood at how cold it was. Almost immediately, her tails shot around her, covering most of her body.

Even with the cloak of _midnight_ attire, Ahri still felt the cold pierce her skin. While she was warm, only so much warmth could go around.

 **"Come."** Kurama's booming voice came to her. **"You will freeze to death, Ahri."**

She looked confused, standing with shaky legs. Kurama rose, turning about swishing his tails about as he repositioned himself to face her. His tails laid out forming a protecting dome of sorts. Kurama shut his eyes and nodded at his fellow nine-tailed fox even motioned her to enter the opening he left with one of his human-like hands.

"T-Thank you, Kurama…" Ahri said in a near whisper as she entered the warmth of the dome. It was protective, shutting off all light from entering, even from the moon above. She sighed in relief and collapsed to the dirt, shooting her tails in all directions.

Suddenly, a sinister smile spread across Kurama's face.

 ** _No…Ahri…thank you. You've given me the perfect chance to finally hide and be free of humans…_**

* * *

The sounds of birds awoke the woman from her sleep. The songs of the early morning played wonderfully in her bushy fox ears. But it was the beating sun that truly bothered her. The cold was gone and – wait.

"Why is there light?!" Ahri shot to her feet, confused and obviously groggy. "What happened to Kurama?! Kurama!"

She was met with silence and the soft breeze.

"K-Kurama…"

Desperation grew in her chest as she took off through the woods in search of her first possible friend. She reasoned with herself, he was probably out looking for food or maybe he was just out for a walk! Yes, she told herself. He was out on a walk and would return to greet her good morning!

She continued running, dashing through the trees, feeling the wind pulsate against her whiskers and tails. Finally she came to a shuddering halt, picking up the scent of Kurama. Dropping to the foliage of the forest floor, she crawled about preparing to pounce through the thick shrubs and bushes.

In the forest clearing, she could easily see other animals but nothing that warranted the great towering fox, hell most of these animals were probably a speck of dust compared to her giant foxy friend. She smirked thinking about the giant fox. Crawling through the brush, pushing branches and leaves out of her face, she came to find the animals had dispersed and the lake was left vacant.

 _Why are they so afraid of me?_ Ahri asked. _I'm nothing like the giant Kurama is…and I'm not armed like humans are…_

She stood, dragging her boots through the dirt and grass. As she approached the scent of Kurama, it almost permeated through the land itself. It was everywhere and it was beginning to bother her. Kneeling to drink from the lake, she froze immediately. Heat rose to her cheeks. She couldn't believe what she saw.

Eyes like Kurama's stared back at her. Blood red with slits for pupils. Her body was cold from how menacing she appeared. No longer were her eyes a soft orange-amber, they were monstrosities filled with rage and hate. _What happened to me last night?!_

Her heart beat heavily.

 _What did Kurama do to me…?_

Her breath fell short.

 _How could he do this to me…?_

Everything came to a halt.

Pain radiated throughout her body as her rage exploded. Chakra shot from her skin tearing at the lake and the dirt, slicing through nature. She cried out, screaming for help, but no one could help her. No one could hear her. Her tails writhed in her pain, swishing through the air and even tearing through the dirt as well. Suddenly, her legs gave out. Ahri clenched her fists, ignoring the blood cascading down her palms. The blue chakra turned dark, taking a red hue instead. It felt wrong; it felt foreign. It was Kurama's doing. It had to be.

This must be the power he spoke of.

She cried out, clenching her legs. They burned as did her arms. Ahri could barely move as she fought against the growing pain. It was then, the worst possible thing could happen; orange fur sprang forth. Her tails lost their white hue and adopted the orange of Kurama. Her boots shot from her human feet, only to be replaced with fox hind legs.

"No!" She begged. " **NO!** "

Hunching her back, her coat ripped from her body as fur and more vulpine body structure replaced her torso. Her breasts shrunk as her arms transformed as well. Skin ripped apart leaving her bare and covered in fur. Her face finally changed, extending and her nose morphed into that of a fox's button nose. Her teeth extended and before she knew it; she towered over some of the trees.

 ** _NO! This can't b-be!_**

Great tears fell from her blood red eyes. **_How could he do this to me?! I thought…I…I'm supposed to become a human! NOT SOME MONSTER!_**

She collapsed into her new arms and before she knew it; her body began to shrink. The fur began to recede. As the anger left her, so did the appearance of a giant fox. As the rage shrunk, so did her height and before she knew it, she was back to normal. Taking deep breaths, the fox appearance had disappeared, leaving a naked Gumiho laying in a fetal position. Tails wrapped around her nude body, trying to hide her private areas. She rose to her feet, channeling her magic.

 _What?_ She looked confused, almost distraught. _This isn't magic…_

After a while, she channeled the new power and before long, an explosion of fire and smoke surrounded her. Like she'd hoped, she was dressed again, leaving her in her classic outfit. Emotionally worn, she fell back into the ruined dirt, feeling the winds blow against her skin. Tears still streamed down her cheeks, but at least she wasn't sobbing.

"I will find Kurama one day…and I will kill him."

* * *

Months passed by like wind. As quick as the months began, they fled.

 _I am alone._

 _I am alone._

 _I am alone._

She told herself, over and over again.

 _How could anyone love me now…?_

Tears welled in her eyes as her hands slowly descended to her base vulpine features.

 _How can I be human now?_

She gritted her teeth, cursing the length her canines had.

 _I'm back at square one…the amount of human souls I'll need to remove these effects…_

Her tails were wrapped around her, keeping the cold midnight winds from freezing her. But in the midst of her silent reminisce, a loud snap was heard.

"Who goes there?" She called, gathering magic and chakra into her palm.

"Kyuubi." A deep voice that sounded terrifyingly familiar broke through the shrubs. "I've been in search of you for months…only to find you've taken the form of a woman…"

"Madara…" She whispered.

The man in question broke through the shrubs, a clever smirk on his face. "It seems you know my name and I haven't even introduced myself."

"What do you want from me?" She glared, doing her best to reign her rage. "And what did you call me?"

"I called you the Kyuubi." Madara glared, eyes shifting in color. "And what I want is your power."

"Whatever power you're searching for, you won't find it from me." She spoke off-handedly.

 ** _This isn't right, Madara._** A dark voice echoed in Ahri's fox ears. **_That's not the nine-tailed fox the Sage of Six Paths created. But she holds all of his chakra. She carries his scent._**

"What do I do, black Zetsu?" Madara asked, narrowing his sharingan eyes.

 ** _Take her._ ** The voice said with a deep baritone. **_What we need is the chakra…do what you please with the girl._**

"I don't know what you're intending but if you dare attack me, I will show no mercy!"

Madara didn't respond and simply continued his advance.

"So be it."

With a smirk and a slight build-up of chakra, she brought her hand to her lips. With a quick motion, she shot forth a great cloud of pink dust, surprising the Uchiha and the strange being attached to his back. Taking no care, the blast crashed against Madara, expecting it to be nothing short of a genjutsu; little did he know, it was far stronger than a mere genjutsu.

"W-What?!" He lost control of his body.

" _Come to me._ " Ahri said with a deathly tone.

Raising her hand, spiritual energy, separate from chakra, swirled, coalescing in her palm. It was a bright blue, mesmerizing and beautiful. With a smirk, she hurled the orb at the man expecting the same result as she always had.

But Madara Uchiha was no mere man.

"No!"

He broke free from her charm and even managed to dodge Ahri's attack in the same move. The look he sported was nothing short of cocky.

"Well, well, well." He smiled, obviously unable to control the laughter trying to escape his lungs. "It looks like the Kyuubi has missed her first – shit!"

The orb rushed back, digging into his back and through his chest. The surprised look on his face was more than amusing to the woman. The instant the orb returned to her palm, she sighed, relishing in the power radiating from the orb.

"Teehee…play time's over!" Ahri gave him a deathly smirk.

Madara shot to his feet, dodging a barrage of magical blasts. The bolts of magic shot forth, digging into the ground, splashing about. In the wake of the bolts, deep barreling holes were left. Madara's sharingan was spinning wildly, doing his best to read her movements. None of her attacks were done with chakra and it was beginning to make Madara nervous. He couldn't use her attacks against her.

"Let's have some real fun!"

Ahri dashed for him, closing the distance in a blink of an eye. Her fist lodged into his armor, sending him back a few feet. What the Uchiha didn't expect was the barrage of fire bolts heading his direction. Dodging them to the best of his abilities, he didn't expect her to do the same attack once again. Dodging her _spirit rush_ as he dubbed it, he managed to weave in between the following fire bolts this time without getting hit. Madara chided himself. _This beast is full of surprises._ He jumped back speeding through hand seals.

 **"Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!"**

With chakra in her legs, she hopped away, letting the great blast of fire engulf the ground and much of the forest floor. As the man sped through more hand seals, ready to fight her again; he didn't take into consideration the fox's skill in the woods. Madara glared at the elusive fox. He could hear jumping from branch to branch. She was purposely snapping branches and twigs. She was even purposely throwing leaves around to throw him off.

"I know what you desire…Madara." She said in a near sensual tone. " **Indulge me!"**

* * *

"Okay, what the hell?!" A shrill shout ended the story. "That sounds like something right out of those perv books that Kakashi-sensei reads!"

Ahri glared at the boy in front of her. "Well let me finish you dolt."

"Like hell I'll let you finish!" Naruto cried back. "You've told enough of you _origin story_ for me to get the picture!"

"H-Hey!" The Gumiho growled. "You asked to know more about me and I told you my story so you can understand my plight."

She gave the twelve year old genin a sheepish look. "I did ask to know more about you; I didn't ask for a history book worth of information!"

"Why you!" Ahri glared. "Byeong-shin, Naruto!"

"Eh?!" Naruto's eyes narrowed at the Gumiho. "What the hell is a _Byeong-shin_?!"

"It means you're a fucking idiot!" Ahri felt her body reverting to her base fox form. "Anyway!"

"Urgh." Naruto crossed his arms, glaring at the beautiful woman in front of him. "To think, the demon fox that destroyed my village fourteen years ago is this hot, but this annoying."

"ME?! Annoying?!" Ahri clenched her fists. "Of all the people I could get sealed in, I had to get sealed into your stupid ass!"

"Anyway!"

"Anyway!"

"I came to you for help." Naruto glared. "As you know, we're plummeting to our death because of my perverted teacher. So unless you want to die too, you should give me your chakra so we can get this started and get the hell out of this situation, okay?"

"Two stipulations." Ahri said after a long silence.

"Hey, lady." Naruto glared. "You're in no room to bargain!"

"Actually, in death, I'll be free of this cage and I get to continue on to heaven." Ahri sat down, blowing at her nails. "I could care less if I died."

"W-What…?" Naruto quickly deflated, blue eyes as wide as plates.

"You heard me." Ahri laughed softly. "Two stipulations; Find me Kurama, the fox that put me in this situation and the most important of the two; find me Uchiha Madara!"

Naruto backed down when the woman suddenly turned into a giant fox, filled with rage and power. But after a few seconds, she quickly descended back to her human form, eyes burning with a passionate rage, a passion that was betrayed by her playful smile.

"T-That's it?" Naruto asked confused.

"What? Were you expecting more?" Ahri snorted.

"N-No, it's just I thought I'd have to sell my soul or something." Naruto sighed in relief. "Isn't that what demons demand or something-?"

" **I am not a demon!** " Ahri bellowed. "Okay. Before I transform and try to kill you…are you going to agree or not?"

"I…I suppose we have a deal." Naruto smirked.

Chakra flowed out in a sea of bubbles, slowly surrounding the Uzumaki. Naruto felt nervous for a moment and for a moment berated himself for not thinking this through. But it was what Ahri's smirking face and very ambiguous words.

" _Shall we?_ "

"W-Wait, Ahri!" Naruto shouted out. "Don't you think this is a bit much?"

"Oh Naruto." She sighed.

 ** _Don't you trust me?_**

* * *

 **So tell me what you thought!**

 **For my reasoning to have Ahri meet Katarina  
in my search for a good Ahri wallpaper for my desktop (don't judge me)  
I ran into a wallpaper featuring Ahri, Blitzcrank, Teemo, Graves etc.  
Among those on her team; KATARINA**

 **:3**

 **Okay, so for influences and references, Ahri will be like  
the culture her myth originates  
**

 **(For those who don't know, Gumiho is a Korean myth about a nine-tailed fox that lures, seduces and eats the livers of men to become human)**

 **And because of my fondness of a certain Korean Drama that featured a Gumiho and a human as the main romance  
I have been influenced slightly because of Miho lmao**

 **So instead of Romaji, she'll be using Romanized Korean :o**

 **Byeong-shin = the Harshest way to say 'stupid' in Korean  
**

 **Well, review, follow and favorite guys!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	2. A Goddamn Month

**Oh hey, another chapter!**

 **A little tidbit of info I forgot to mention;  
Naruto is not going to be godlike, nor is he going to have a harem  
Naruto will be strong, that much is true, but he'll be more smart  
than anything else.**

 **Basically what I mean is; even with all the power and strength  
** **he won't be flailing his power at every confrontation: He'll be smart  
** **with his abilities and strength basically**

 **and yes. This fanfiction is STRICTLY Naruto x Ahri  
I see way too many harem fics or nonsensical smut  
of this pairing so I am intending to make this complex  
and enjoyable at the same time :D and of course  
with my own style of drama included ;D**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A Goddamn Month**

 _Naruto~_

Her voice was sweet like honey; like the scent of a fresh cup of ramen; heavenly.

 _Oh Naruto~_

Sakura-chan, he'd whisper huskily in return.

 _Naruto~ I need you. Wake up._

She reached out to him, wanting to take his hand.

 _Please; Oppa…I need you~_

"Eh?"

The Uzumaki opened his eyes only to find himself in the sewer Ahri had been trapped within. With surprise and anger running through his bloodstream. He looked around, eyeing the various bars only to find the woman of his nightmares hanging upside down, using her tails to swing her back and forth.

"Naruto~" He could hear her voice. "Please! I need you!"

When she finished, the damned fox giggled and started all over again. Her eyes were glowing with a half pink tinge instead of the terrifying blood red. She immediately dropped from the ceiling and dropped to the watery floor. Ahri was now squatting with her hands in between her legs, covering what her annoyingly short Hanbok couldn't. Thank goodness for that, or Naruto would find himself with nosebleeds every morning. _Is this really the terrifying beast that destroyed Konoha all those years ago?_

"Oh, you're finally awake, Byeong-shin." Ahri bellowed with laughter.

Much to Naruto's ire, she kept to the nickname. "What the hell do you want; Baka-Kitsune!"

"Well then. Who pissed in your ramen?" Ahri feigned a look of hurt. "You needed to wake up. When you dream your subconscious always brings you here you know. And I most definitely can't stand dreams about _Sakura-chan_ and the _things_ you intend to 'do' to her."

A burning hot blush exploded on his cheeks. "N-No way you know what I was dreaming about! Grr!"

" ** _Oh Sakura-chan!_** " Ahri nearly shouted, once more adding to Naruto's ire with how much she emphasized his raspy voice. " ** _Please! Keep sucking!_** "

"WHAT?!" Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "I-I-I-I n-never!"

What he received was the echoing laughter of the resident Gumiho. Her laugh was playful and filled with a genuine joy, which really threw the Uzumaki into a loop. He watched her backflip around in the clear foot deep waters, laughing and all the while managing to keep her tails from tripping her. But after a while, he couldn't stand the psychotic woman.

"A-Ahri." He called nearly having to shout above the volume of her laughter. "What did you want?"

"O-Oh." She rose, wiping a tear from her eye. "Right. You asked for my help, did you not?"

"Yeah?" Naruto gave her a look of confusion. "Why?"

"Oh just be more patient, my adorable little human." Ahri spoke with lust in her voice. "Let Noona take care of you."

Naruto gave her a look of confusion.

"I believe in your language you say…nee-chan." Ahri rolled her eyes at the semantics. "My statement still stands. As long as I am in here, all I can do is teach you my abilities and give you my chakra when you most need it. And with the abysmal state that your abilities are in, you sure are lacking in the _badass shinobi_ area."

Naruto deflated at what she said. "Great."

"Oh, Naruto, don't look so down in the dumps." Ahri smiled, motioning him to the gates. Within a few seconds, her soft lithe hands embraced either side of his face. "Like I said, Dong-saeng…let Noona take care you."

All he could do was nod dumbly; it was almost as if he'd lost all ability to speak. Once she let him go, his face felt cold and lacking. Ahri flashed him a smirk; before he knew it, he found himself laying in his bed. In his apartment.

"Oh." Naruto sighed. "I must've been carried here by the old pervert…god…my muscles are sore."

"Naruto." Ahri's voice sounded with a rhythmic tone. "Head to your training ground so I can show you how to do this."

"So what is this ability you're going to show me?" Naruto asked.

"There are four of them. During my time with my former master, he taught me to mix my essence with my physical strength to truly master chakra. That is before I got sealed." Ahri stated. "The first, is my Orb of Deception. Like the name entails, it's an orb of energy, but deceptive. Make sense?"

" _WOW_. What a _BEAUTIFUL_ description." Naruto drawled.

"Urgh." Ahri rolled her eyes. "Basically you throw the orb and it is supposed to tear the essence from the target."

Naruto's eyes bugged. "You're saying it's _supposed_ to. What does it d-do now?"

"Well…with chakra, it gains a little bit more…substance." She said with a cheeky smile. "While I'd prefer you to use it with pure essence in mind, using it with chakra would be best for you since your chakra coils have already matured."

"What do you mean by substance?" Naruto gave her a strange look.

"Imagine this." Ahri adopted a thinking pose. "If the original Orb of Deception was spiritual and absorbed the spirit of the target…with chakra, the Orb basically becomes an iron weight that depending on how good your chakra control is, does insane amounts of physical damage. But I doubt you have the chakra control to do so though."

"Urgh, don't underestimate me!" Naruto responded indignantly.

"I would never do such a thing." Ahri replied with sarcasm dripping from her lips. "But my statement still stands. To keep the chakra encased in a ball takes a lot of practice and requires precision control. The slightest wave of chakra out of place and the entire thing will explode in your hand. The slightest moment off concentration, you lose the ability to throw the ball, even worse, you throw it and it doesn't come back. It kinda defeats the purpose y'know."

Naruto walked through the streets dressed in his standard orange jumpsuit passing through the villagers with a silent expression. While a few flashed him glares, the rest outright ignored him. Taking the quickest detour, the Uzumaki found himself in the center of Training Ground 7. His body rocked and ached from the physical training Jiraiya of the Sannin had put him through for the past week. With all of the physical training, Naruto knew that Neji would be one hell of an opponent and he would be damned if he faced him with nothing but taijutsu.

 _Damn…now that I think about it; Hinata is leagues ahead of me in the taijutsu department._ Naruto frowned.

"Hey, no depressing thoughts." Ahri's voice reprimanded. "What you're here to do today is to work on the Orb of Deception. Not think about the retarded Chunin Exams or some classmate that got beaten to a pulp by clan indifferences."

"My former master before he died, rid himself of his previous clan indifferences." Ahri said matter-of-factly. "And he was beyond your comprehension. The less you worry, the more you can concentrate, okay?"

"Yeah…" Naruto sighed. "Okay, how do I start this _Orb of Deception_?"

"Hold out your hand and imagine the ball for now."

Naruto did just as he was tasked. He raised his palm, gripping the wrist. Suddenly, blue luminous energy coalesced into his palm. It gathered but Ahri's original review of his skills had merit. She kept quiet watching the Uzumaki struggle to gather the chakra. But just as the form of a ball appeared, the _sphere_ exploded, sending him flying. The Gumiho winced at his cry of agony and even found that the skin on his palm had been peeled, melted off from the strain.

"I did say your chakra control was abysmal." Ahri said in a sing-song voice. "Now are you going to listen to Noona?"

"Y-Yes, Noona…" Naruto groaned.

In his mindscape Ahri knelt down and pressed a finger to his lips. "No, when I'm teaching you my techniques, you will refer to me as Seonsaeng! It is sensei to you, but I'm not a big fan of your language so what will it be, my adorable Dong-saeng? Or should I continue calling you Byeong-shin? After being called that for a week, a name like that would stick for a long-"

"OKAY!" Naruto groaned. "Seonsaeng Ahri. What would you have me do to increase my chakra control?"

"I know that perv Ebisu had you use your chakra to stand on water but never had the chance to pursue actual training since you decided to send him flying from his own nosebleed." Ahri deadpanned. "Ridiculous jutsu if you ask me, but it has some rather…effective results. Almost ridiculously effective."

"So I'm going to have to stand on water?" Naruto asked, managing to break the fox from her ramblings. "What do I do about this hand? It's really beginning to sting?!"

"Oh stop being such a drama queen." Ahri shook her head.

Within seconds, the flayed palm began to steam as skin slowly returned. It was warm, like sticking his hand in a pot of warm water. But he had to admit, it felt wonderful. Before he knew it, the skin had reformed perfectly, wrapping around his palm. He sighed in relief and immediately removed his shirt and headed for the river nearby.

"Be lucky that you're too far from the nearest hot spring." Ahri giggled. "I would take great enjoyment listening to your cries of pain as you drop beneath the surface."

"Whose side are you on, woman?" Naruto asked with a confused glare. "With all this talk it's beginning to confuse the hell out of me!"

Ahri adopted a feigned sheepish look. "Oh~ I'm just poking fun Naruto- _kun_ …"

"Don't do that." Naruto shut his eyes trying to get away from Ahri.

"Oh, you're getting flustered!" Ahri pointing accusingly. "They say when a man works out or does strenuous physical jobs, testosterone really helps!"

"No words of advice!" Naruto raised his hands in defense. "Please!"

The Gumiho huffed, crossing her arms over her buxom chest with a scowl. "You're obviously no fun."

Naruto released a great sigh once he reached the river. Ahri was really something else. Stepping onto the calm waters, chakra immediately reacted. Like a soft hum, he knew he did something right. Placing his left foot onto the water was slightly more difficult, given the explosion of chakra and the week long training he had with Jiraiya. Every muscle in his body ached but with the promise he made to Hinata and this convoluted deal with Ahri (practically blackmail), he had real goals he could accomplish in the short terms instead of screaming about Hokage.

"Oh, NOW you start questioning your annoying bravado about being Hokage." Ahri praised.

Naruto cried out as the control he had disappeared. "Ahri…" pulling himself out of the water, the Uzumaki channeled water to his hands turning the water into solid ground and pulled his body out of the running water. "You can try to distract me all you want! I will get this down by the end of this month! Better yet! I'll get this down by the end of this day!"

Immediately channeling chakra to his feet, the boy dropped into a stance. Molding chakra all around, he did everything he could to stay steady. But with the running water beneath his feet it was almost like trying to stand on a dirt path, all the while holding onto a horse running full speed. To him, it was beginning to make his sweat, or was it water from the river? Naruto didn't know but molding his chakra, he even shut Ahri quiet with his sudden show of skill.

Now almost two hours later, the Uzumaki had managed to stand still in a horse's stance without once breaking his flow of chakra. As impressive as it was, Ahri would be more impressed if the Uzumaki did lunges across the river, back and forth, but she knew she'd have to use her chakra to keep him in tip-top shape. Then again, Ahri didn't want the boy to become too reliant on her power to keep him safe all the time, using her chakra at every confrontation defeated the purpose of so many things. In fact, the only time she took the time to heal his stupid ass was if he was in any actual life threatening situations. The woman had plans; she wasn't intending to stay in him for too long.

 _After all, unlike Mito and his mother, he took the time to listen to what I had to say and even agreed to my deal._ Ahri smiled to herself. _Speaking of his mother…poor boy doesn't even know._

"Alright, Naruto." Ahri called. "I think it's time that you start the next stage of your chakra control training."

With a glare, the Uzumaki complied. Rising to his feet with a burning ire, he stretched, feeling the muscles stretch and bones popping in their sockets. "Now, Naruto. I want you to do one hundred high knees and one hundred suicides back and forth on the river."

"W-What?!" Naruto asked with wide eyes. "Are you insane?"

"If you can't do that, then your chakra control will never get better." Ahri said matter-of-factly. "Or would you rather I stay cooped up in my cage and let you get your ass handed to you in the upcoming Chunin Exams?"

Naruto released an exasperated sigh. "Alright! Alright! I get it…okay…let's do this."

Channeling chakra to his feet, he went right to work. The Uzumaki constantly caught the Gumiho's attention with how attentive he was when it came to training. Sure he complained every once in a while, or even during it all, especially with Jiraiya, but he always got it done with exceptional results. Ahri hoped he could do even better than the simple one hundred she set for him. With chakra control as the most important feature of her abilities, Naruto needed to understand that.

He jumped, bringing his knees to his chest in repetitive motion, chakra never once faltering. Ahri nodded, taking mental notes on his form and ability to keep up a constant flow of chakra. After the fiftieth knee-high, she was certain that any other shinobi would have gotten tired already or at least felt their chakra reserves running out. She tilted her head almost intrigued by his sudden skill. Sure she knew he had massive chakra reserves; partly because she was sealed in his mother, but this was an entirely new level. His reserves were flowing at a steady trickle at most.

From other shinobi she'd watched, they would be releasing chakra in the form of small creeks or tiny rivers, but Naruto's insane amounts were like droplets. But that came with its own problems. She could see that he was also wasting a lot of chakra. Ahri continued examining the boy, tapping her cheeks with a knowing look. His chakra was too much to truly control, at least the way it was now. With the amount he had, she was certain he'd be wasting some in his wake. Hell even when he takes a shit, she assumed, chakra would come out as well.

A body this small was not a good vessel for that much chakra, and she wasn't even bringing her own into the equation. It was a surprise that he hasn't died from the sheer amount he had. _So much power and yet no one taught him how to harness it._ Ahri ran a hand against her cheeks, stroking the whiskers. _If I am going to exact revenge on that bastard Kurama and that monster Madara, Naruto will have to be stronger than he is now. Sure it's only been two weeks since we made our deal, but two weeks have passed and now, the Chunin exams are literally three weeks away._

 _Twenty-one days to whips his ass into shape to get promoted._ Ahri thought. _If he is to go out into the world, I'd prefer that he does it because he was promoted and given the green light. I'd rather not have tracker ninjas after us every second of the day. Given his status as Jinchuriki, him going AWOL is the last thing I want. They might rip me from his body somehow and seal me into a jar or worse; another idiot._ Ahri cringed softly. _I've already invested too much into the moron only to be torn away. But first things first; his dumbass needs to grow taller and healthier so his chakra reserves can grow into him._

 _With this amount of wasted chakra, I'm certain he could have casted at least several ninjutsu before breaking a sweat. Oh well, this is getting fun._

"Naruto." Ahri sighed. "Are you tired?"

"Never, Seonsaeng Ahri!" Naruto proclaimed. "I told you not to underestimate me!"

Ahri rolled her eyes. "Keep this up and we both die. You need to rest."

"What happened to _I could care less if I died_?" Naruto chided with a smirk.

The Gumiho growled. "Just go to sleep. You can use the rest of this week to work on your chakra control and the Orb of Deception. We have three weeks left to master the techniques I wanted to teach you. And depending on how quickly you master or at least get the basics down, I might even find time to teach you one of my ultimate techniques."

All he heard was ultimate techniques.

"YATTA!" Naruto cheered. "Okay! I'm going to rest now! I promise, Ahri, I won't let you down!"

* * *

The second week of Ahri's training had begun.

For the past week, the nine-tailed fox that resided in his gut had driven him like a slave. Every morning he'd be forced to wake from her incessant musings and dirty, perverted, playful imagination. Every dream he head was ruined by her giggling or her ruining the aesthetic with her half-manic interruptions. For a moment, Naruto wished he had simply fallen to his death instead growing a pair to face off against his Seonsaeng. Erm. Noona. He sometimes forgot which to use and that always resulted in Ahri entering her giant fox demon form to intimidate the poor boy.

Sure she was locked behind the great bars of the seal that held her, but the fact she could turn from a buxom woman-thing, to a giant fox that towered above the Hokage Monument was something to always remember. Whenever she was mad, she would thrash about in his subconscious, making him see things out of the corner of his eye. Then other times she'd be in the middle of explaining something but something else would suddenly catch her attention and she completely forget what she was doing. Naruto facepalmed as he walked from his apartment.

 _She's a monster; a demon; a slave-driver; a sexy woman; a foolish girl and has the attention span of a fruitcake._ Naruto frowned. _How did I end up with her in my gut?_

Naruto walked down the stairs tossing an apple between his hands. Taking a moment to sink his teeth into the delectable fruit, he felt his face drop when the juices tickled down to his chin. It was sweet and honestly one of the greatest things he'd ever eaten, but it was all part of Ahri's new diet plan. He asked her, begged her even, not to get rid of ramen but she was adamant. _Even the smallest action can bring out the greatest change._ Naruto repeated in a half-assed attempt to mimic her whimsical tone. _Like hell eating healthy in the three weeks we have left will make me physically ready for the Chunin Exams._

"I never said the diet stops after the Chunin Exams, Byeong-shin." Ahri droned.

 _Tch._ Naruto deflated, taking another bite. _Beggars can't be choosers._

"Alright, Seonsaeng, what's in store for us this week?" Naruto asked. "Cool fighting styles, awesome jutsu?!"

"Find yourself a jōnin sensei and I'll explain once you do."

Naruto nodded silent as he continued to bite into his apple. He walked in silence as the people of Konohagakure went about their daily routines. From moving crates for traders and goods peddlers, to men and women immediately working on their artisan goods. Chairs, tables and even masks were carved and painstakingly pieced together. Not many paid the young Uzumaki any attention, probably because he left his orange jacket behind leaving him with his black tee. Taking time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the village, the boy trudged towards the various places he might possibly find other jōnin sensei he knew.

Taking a detour through the streets, he headed for Yakiniku Q, the one place that most of the sensei took their students. Like the main street in Konoha, he caught of whiff of the civilian populace and their low key disdain for his existence. He could feel their glares planted against his back. Their hate and anger permeated through the air, it was almost palpable. In a way, he kind of enjoyed their looks. It was better than getting outright ignored. He paid them no attention of course, less incur the wrath of their shouts and insults that they were definitely intending to throw his way.

It wasn't long before he arrived at Yakiniku. The doors were already open wide showing him that there were probably quite a few people inside. Naruto didn't think much of it, finding today strangely busy. Looking left and right, he crossed the street, sauntering over to the open doors with a confident smile on his whiskered face. Okay, maybe not confident. The Uzumaki had never really interacted with the other sensei and really felt out of place going to another team's teacher to ask for help. Kakashi in all of his wisdom cast him aside immediately for the sake of training Sasuke on his own in seclusion. Hell he even told Naruto that Neji was a genius and that there was almost no chance to beat him.

"Your melodramatic thoughts are beginning to make my eyes water." Ahri's voice was soft. "Stop."

A smirk found its way to his face. "Sorry, Noona. I'll do better not to make you cry."

"I never said I was crying." Ahri responded indignantly. "I just said that my eyes were watering!"

The smile grew, replacing his emotions. A laugh softly escaped his lips, easing the growing pain in his heart. He journeyed through the packed tables and booths, barraged with the smell of sizzling beef. The longer he looked, the longer he lingered. The smell bombarded him from all directions, almost as if his sense of smell had been amplified…

"Noona?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

"Kogi~!" Ahri cried with a stream of saliva trailing from her lips. "Naruto! Kogi! It looks like it does when I make it! Chae kkeut, Anchangsal. Chimasal, Bulgogi…Naruto! How tempting! I haven't had meat in almost eighty years! Agh! Just thinking about it is making my stomach hurt!"

"Ahri!" Naruto shouted within his mindscape. "Calm down!"

"No one will stand in my way." She said with a deathly smirk.

"No one but the damn cage!" The Uzumaki crossed his arms over his chest with a raised brow. "Now sit still and calm down!"

"B-But…Naruto…" she gave him a pleading look. "Kogi~!"

Running a hand across his face, a tapping finger caught him unawares. Flipping around, he nearly pushed a certain fellow blonde to the floor. He immediately went into overdrive, letting his instincts take over. Over the past week of dealing with the Orb of Deception (attempt count: 1000), he'd learned to be better with noticing displacement and even had a better understanding of physics; and he never once had to open a book! With the sudden pressure and exertion of force, Ino was forced back from their intense proximity. Quickly shooting his arm forward, his hand wrapped against her waist, pulling her towards him. In his speed, her hair never once touched the carpet floor.

"N-Nice save, Naruto…" Ino thanked in a near silent whisper. "I thought I would be embarrassing myself thanks to you."

"I wouldn't dare." Naruto beamed.

Ino shrugged. "What are you doing here just staring at food that other people have already ordered?"

"O-Oh…" Naruto sweat dropped. In front of him was a table filled with a family of five; each one of them staring at him with raised brows. "Good lord."

Garnering a laugh from his blonde counterpart, the girl quickly led him along. "Normally you and your team would join mine for some barbeque, would you like some?"

"Y-Yeah?" Naruto gave her a weird look. "What's with the sudden hospitality?"

Ino gave him a look. "Oh please; you, Shikamaru and Choji are great friends. It would be wrong of me to treat you any other way."

 _Teehee._ Ahri smirked within. _I'm going to have fun next week._

"By any chance, is Asuma-sensei with you?" Naruto asked.

Ino shot him a raised brow. "Of course he is. Who do you think pays for everything?"

"Oh!" Naruto chided himself for asking something so stupid. "Would it be alright if I asked him for some help?"

"What did you need from him?" the Yamanaka beside him asked with mouth agape. "C'mon, you can ask him yourself."

Pushed and pulled through the large crowd of tables and booths, and even past a few of the waiters and bussers. Naruto was certain that he might knock some of these people over. It wasn't long before he found himself situated between Ino and Shikamaru with Choji sitting in front of him and Asuma-sensei sitting in front of Ino. With a few quick ice breakers, the conversation went rolling, leaving the heavy air to dissipate.

"So Naruto." Asuma said. "You came looking for a jōnin sensei, eh? What happened to Kakashi?"

"He's ah, training Sasuke." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Kakashi-sensei handed me over to Ebisu, but he was…incompetent."

"Was he now?" Asuma raised a brow. "Well what do you need? I might be able to help."

 _Ahri?_ Naruto asked. _You never told me what I needed to do._

"How could I forget. Silly me." Ahri laughed softly. "Ask him if he has a way to read chakra affinities."

With a subconscious nod, he looked up to meet Asuma's eyes. "I was wondering if you had a way to read chakra affinities. Like…elements or something."

From the corner of his eyes, Shikamaru and Ino shared the same look Choji did. "Well, well, well, Naruto." Asuma chuckled. "Everyone's underestimating you. What brought this curiosity on?"

"W-Well…" Naruto took a moment to really think. Ahri was too busy whistling to herself and blowing her nails to really give him the time of day at this point. "I'm fighting Neji right? If his Byakugi-"

"Byakugan." Shikamaru corrected.

"R-Right, Byakugan. Since he's Hinata's cousin, I assume they use the same techniques?" Naruto did his best to sound convincing. "If one were to get that close to him, one can only hope a miracle would happen; after all, the Hyuuga specialize in taijutsu. So using ninjutsu, or long-range attacks to keep him at a distance would be a good idea, right?"

Shikamaru's raised brow was expected. Everything he said made sense and didn't sound like mindless blabber. If the smirk on the Nara's face was any indication; he was impressed. The rest of team ten seemed to share the sentiment, especially their sensei. Asuma for a split second had a look of surprise but shut his eyes, releasing a sigh.

"Alright." Asuma smirked. "You have me sold. First, let's eat!

* * *

Asuma stood before Naruto with a few sheets of paper between his fingers. "Alright Naruto. While most would wait until they were chunin to learn how to control their elemental affinities, seeing your determination, I can't help it."

"What's with the paper, Asuma-sensei?" Naruto gave him a raised brow and a confused expression.

"Oh this?" He asked with a soft laugh. "This is special paper, made from trees nurtured with chakra. Channeling even with the most minute amount of chakra into the sheets will determine your affinity. Let me show you."

Handing Naruto the stack he had, he kept one between his fingers. Suddenly the sheet split in half and flittered away. But what caught Naruto's attention, before the two halves could reach his waist, they ignited. Amazing! Naruto thought. That could only mean that the jōnin before him had two elemental affinities!

"Judging by your thinking look, you've come to the right conclusion." Asuma smirked. "Like most jōnin in Konoha, I have an affinity for fire, but unlike most Konoha shinobi in general, I have affinity for wind. Now since you're excited about elements and long range ninjutsu, time for you to try."

"Y-You sure?" Naruto asked with wide eyes.

"Oh, what happened to the excitement before?" Asuma almost laughed. "Don't worry if nothing happens. Most shinobi don't have elemental affinities until they hit puberty. That Sasuke is different, being an Uchiha and a prodigy. Now, I'm not saying you can't have an element. With the monstrous amounts of chakra that Kakashi recently told his fellow jōnin, you had, I would be surprised if you _didn't_ have one."

"Okay." Naruto took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing…"

 _And time for me to have a little fun!_ Ahri giggled. _If he's to learn my next attack, it will require some…tinkering…with his DNA. Good thing my master taught me chakra theory…or else this might kill him. Who knows at this point?_

Chakra flowed slowly into the paper, but nothing happened. Just like the Uzumaki feared, he might have no element. Suddenly, the paper split down the middle and almost immediately caught on fire.

 _Now my little Dong-saeng._ Ahri mentally applauded herself. _All you have to do is accept my training without complaint. Eventually, that Uchiha will be beneath me – I mean you. Erm. Us. This will take some getting used to._

"N-No way." Asuma dropped his cigarette. "Interesting. I never would have thought that you would have two elements at your age, let alone one with the reports of your skills. Hell, even the Sannin didn't have two elements at your age. If you don't mind, I'd like you to come with me to see the Sandaime."

"What did I do?" Naruto asked with bugged eyes.

"Nothing, wrong. I can assure you that." Asuma smiled. "It's just something that my father should know as the Hokage."

Ahri facepalmed. _Damn it. How did I not know that this was the third's son?! Now they'll go snooping around. What would they think if they realize that my chakra has already begun to merge with his? What about that mind walker; the Yamanaka? Shit. I never did think these things through; damn curiosity!_

"Alright, Shikamaru." Asuma called to the lazy genius. "I want you to continue training your shadow possession. I know you have it down, but extra training can't hurt now can it? And Ino? Make sure that he doesn't take any naps."

With his team falling to work, he and Naruto took to the streets. "Good thing you showed up at Yakiniku today. I don't think anyone would have ever known your potential."

"Heh." Naruto bowed his head slightly. "So what does this mean for me?"

"You said that Ebisu was supposed to train you, but you got rid of him?" Asuma returned. "Whose teaching you now, kid?"

"The Pervy Sage." Naruto sighed. Naruto stammered for a moment when he saw the confused look on his face. "Wait. Erm…his name is Jiraiya, the Gallant. Or so he claimed."

"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Asuma gave the blond a wide-eyed look. "White hair and red haori?"

"Yeah, that's the pervert." Naruto nodded with a smirk. "He's been putting me through physical conditioning and -"

"Don't spill everything just yet." Ahri said with a dark tone in her voice.

"What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked within his mindscape.

"Just don't." and with that, the nine-tailed fox forced him from his mindscape.

 _Well that was weird._

"Naruto." Asuma's voice echoed in his head. "Are you alright? You paused midsentence."

"Oh, I'm fine!" Naruto laughed awkwardly. "Where was I?"

"You were going over what Jiraiya-sama has taught you."

Naruto ran a hand through his blond hair. "Erm. He's taught me a lot about chakra control since I have so much chakra. He said it would be extremely difficult for me to do much aside from the shadow clone jutsu."

"Nice save, Byeong-shin." Ahri laughed.

 _And she's bi-polar. Oh well…I guess it's time to freak the old man out…_

* * *

Naruto was surprised at how the old Hokage handled the news. He was calm, collected and didn't show a sign of fear or worry. It threw the poor blond in a loop that took a while to recover from. Aside from quick tests and more affinity tests, it was confirmed that Naruto had a dual elemental affinity. From that point, everything was a blur of speed and color. From even more tests and time consuming psych evaluations (He immediately assumed they thought Ahri was to question). Hell, the Hokage even checked the seal holding his beloved Seonsaeng. But now with the sun beginning to set and a look of determination, he stood before the sensei of Team Ten. The large jōnin examined the little blond and gave a simple verdict.

"Hmm…well we can work extra on your chakra control. Using fire techniques are simple enough, but without the proper control, you're more likely to burn yourself than your target. Harder still, wind manipulation is the most difficult of the elements. It looks like we have our work cut out for us. What do you say? Aside from training with Jiraiya-sama, you come along and I'll teach you the basics?"

"That would be great!" Naruto beamed. "What techniques would you teach me?"

"Simple techniques. For now, I will teach you one from both elements. I don't expect these techniques to be mastered before the final stage of the Chunin exams, but hey, you've surprised me a lot today; I'm open to whatever happens."

"Alright, Asuma-sensei!" Naruto declared. "I'm ready!"

"Okay." The jōnin smiled. "We're going to start off with fire chakra. How to do this, you have to build the chakra in your reservoirs. Since you have a natural affinity for both, it shouldn't be too hard. Now to do this; channel your chakra like you normally would but instead of simply building it up until it escapes through your pores, what you have to do is force the chakra to tumble and rub together creating friction."

"It's like lighting a fire with rocks!" Naruto cried. "How do I know I'm doing it right?"

Asuma knelt to the ground, grabbing a stray leaf. Naruto watched with a raised brow. Suddenly, without the Sarutobi even batting an eye at the leaf, a hole burned through; clean, without stray burn marks. The blond Jinchuriki was in awe of how circular and perfect the hole seemed. _His chakra control must be through the roof!_

"He is a jōnin, y'know." Ahri laughed within. "Do you understand what you have to do?"

 _I think what I have to do is channel my fire chakra and force it into the leaf without burning the edges or causing stray marks to create a perfectly round hole._

"Aww." Ahri cooed. "You're on point today, Naruto!"

The blond smiled at the compliment.

Without command or request, Naruto knelt down in similar fashion and grabbed a leaf. But before he could start molding chakra, Asuma's big hands took the leaf and replaced it with a simple sheet of paper. Naruto gave the man a confused look but immediately retracted the look when the realization dawned on him. _Paper is thinner. Hmm. So this is beginner's level…okay…here goes nothing._

Naruto fell into a horse's stance, channeling chakra in his stomach. He could feel the energy tumble and beat against his reservoirs. It grew in speed and soon enough, power was swirling within him, picking up heat along the way. In lieu of convection, warm chakra rose while the chakra that remained cool began to flow down. He channeled and pushed harder, concentrating on the imaginary circle he was attempting to create. Sweat built on his brow, trickling down his cheeks only to steam away. His arms grew heavy, weak and tense against the bottled chakra.

"Fuck!"

Chakra exploded in all directions, springing from his pores. In a show of smoke and flame, the boy was flown back with a trail following after him. He bounced a few times before coming to a halt against a protruding stone. Grunting in pain, the boy struggled to his feet, wobbly legged and breathless.

"Naruto!" Asuma rushed to the genin. "Are you alright?!"

"Ugh…I tried to channel the chakra to the space I was concentrating on…but the chakra only built up and didn't release…" Naruto groaned. "Are my legs and arms okay? I can barely feel em."

"After the revelation from the Hokage, your quick healing should be kicking in right about now." The jōnin nodded. "Don't worry kid, you'll be okay in no time."

"Can you tell me what I did wrong?" Naruto asked, eye lids slowly sliding shut. "I tried to do it but it just…"

"Give it more practice…and maybe you should work on more chakra control." Naruto deflated at the advice the jōnin gave him. "You're treating it like a ninjutsu. Instead what you should be doing is treating it like a hand seal."

"Hmm…" Naruto winced as his skin slowly began to reform.

"Also, you used way too much chakra, Naruto." Asuma frowned. "What you should do is cut you chakra into sections; like carving a cake or cutting up a steak. You don't try stuffing the entire thing into your mouth at once."

"Minuscule amounts?" Naruto asked.

"Not miniscule. Proportionate." Asuma gave the Uzumaki a look. "Do you know why I gave you a sheet of paper instead of a leaf?"

"The paper is more flammable?" The blond asked without hesitation.

Asuma laughed softly. "No. The reason the paper is used for beginners is because it's bigger than your average leaf. The smaller the medium, the more precise your control needs to be."

"So…" Naruto groaned. "Even with bad chakra control in mind, I still managed to royally screw it up."

"Don't beat yourself up too hard, kid." The jōnin patted the still smoking Uzumaki. "You're still only a genin, but you just have to keep working on it. Maybe after the Chunin Exams you'll get it."

"I can't wait until after the Chunin Exams!" Naruto suddenly sprang to his feet, energy and determination in his eyes. "I need to learn so I can stand a chance against Neji!"

"Good show, kid!" Asuma laughed. "Let's get started shall we?"

* * *

The second half of week two of Ahri's training had begun, and honestly, Naruto was excited.

The boy awoke, sore and in a searing pain unlike any other. But aside from physical maladies, he felt amazing. Proud, even. He'd gotten the chakra control methods down for Fire chakra and Wind chakra. Before the end of the fourth day of training, he'd learned the basics of the **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu** and the **Fuuton: Ryūsui**.

Like the jutsu that Sasuke always took pride in using, Naruto had finally come to grasp the theory behind the fireball and the quick thinking required to break chakra into proportional clumps. The fireball technique was by far, the boy's favorite to use and the easier of the two. During the four days, so far, of non-stop training, the boy barely slept; from dawn to dawn, he'd work on his fire chakra, channeling it and molding it. Channeling was the easy part, he noted as he progressed; molding it was the hard part as he came to realize as time went on. Chakra couldn't be forced, Naruto needed to remind himself.

It explained why in his most desperate situations, when he forced his shadow clones, only two or three would come to existence. Even with an _easy_ technique such as that, he needed to let chakra flow like smooth rivers, without constraint. The calmer and level headed he was, the stronger and more potent his fire chakra became and better yet; the smoother it flowed. The smoother; the better. It left him with less room to make mistakes and burn himself in the process. In one of his earlier attempts at the fireball technique, he burned his lungs and vocal chords. Poor boy could speak for three hours while Ahri worked meticulously to reshape his damaged organs.

With the wind chakra, Naruto struggled with violent repercussions. From molding his chakra wrong to channeling it the wrong way. While fire chakra burned the user if not controlled well enough; wind chakra lacerates and maims the user. Naruto's stomach was torn to shreds and he was forced to the hospital for an entire day. But that didn't stop him from training; oh, Ahri found a way to work him out in his mindscape, forcing him to do chakra control in the dank emptiness of the sewer subconscious. Thankfully, his wind affinity was leagues ahead of his fire affinity and he managed to slice through leaves and medium-sized stones with just chakra alone.

Ahri was beyond proud of him during the second week so far. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the struggle the Orb of Deception training was. She was almost awestricken at how much he'd progressed. She giggled softly giving the blond a look while he cooked himself a breakfast of eggs, white meat chicken and a small cup of rice on the side. He was slowly growing; sure it was barely two centimeters taller, but that was progress. His shoulders were slightly wider and overall, his face was not as skinny as it was before. Slowly but surely, cheeks began to form and baby fat began to disappear. Oh, Ahri couldn't wait to show him the week's technique.

"When you're done eating, head over to your training ground, eh?" Ahri smiled.

With the scrambled eggs and chicken on a plate, the boy began to eat peacefully. "What will you be showing me today?"

"It's called, Fox Fire. Remember the intense chakra control regimen Asuma, Jiraiya and I put you through?"

"Yeah?" Naruto shivered softly.

"Well, with the amount of control you have now, I am more than confident in your abilities." Ahri praised. "In these last four days, you've progressed in ways I could have never imagined and thankfully, with my super awesome, amazing healing abilities, you didn't die and recovered in record time. Anyway. Fox Fire in a sense, is an auto-defense of sorts."

"Eh?" Naruto gave her a strange look. "Elaborate."

"When used, three motes of great fire will be born and orbit around you." Ahri explained. "When an opponent gets within range of the defense, the motes will shoot out towards the target at quick speeds, splashing and if you're lucky, set your opponent on fire. Well, originally, the attack simply caused splash damage to the enemy, don't give me that look. But with chakra, the flaming motes became real fire, burning brightly with a heartbeat of its own. Each mote is alive, in a sense, and will chase down the first target to come within the dome of protection. Do you follow me so far?"

Naruto stayed silent for a long while, chewing his chicken and rice. "You said _three_ fire motes will orbit around me? Holy shit, Ahri. What kind of monstrous chakra control does someone need to maintain that? It's like telling me to make the Orb of Deception return to me; I don't think it's possible with the amount of chakra I have."

"Well lucky for you, unlike the Orb of Deception, Fox Fire is not supposed to be a permanent offensive-defense; and it isn't required to come back to you." Ahri deadpanned. " _I_ can only maintain it for a good thirty seconds before the motes disappear. Then I have a five second cooldown when I'm at my maximum strength before I can use it again."

"Who the hell has cooldowns?" Naruto asked, almost appalled by the notion.

"I-I do, okay!" Ahri roared with a slight tinge of red on her whiskered cheeks. "Don't try to distract me! Hey! Stop laughing at me!"

Naruto couldn't help it. For all her power, she suffered from the worst thing possible; cooldowns. "S-Sorry, Seonsaeng Ahri! It's just… _really_?"

"How is that so hard to comprehend, Byeong-shin?!" Ahri pouted, crossing her arms over her buxom chest. "Urgh. Do you want to learn how to use Fox Fire or not?!"

"I never said I didn't." Naruto smiled.

Rising from his seat and quickly washing his plates, the boy took off, leaving his orange jumper jacket behind once again. Running a hand through his blond hair, he took no time to reach Training Ground Seven. He was glad that the Training Ground was not where Kakashi decided to train his Uchiha student. Left alone in the center, Naruto went straight to work. With the sounds of the village growing louder as life began to wake, Naruto started to channel his chakra once again. Taking the advice from his beautiful Seonsaeng, the fire chakra in his stomach began to split into thirds. With the tiger seal held steady, he concentrated on the seal and the image in his head.

 _Three floating motes of fire…_

Like he had hoped, the fire chakra seeped from his pores in his abdomen. Slowly, the energy coalesced into a single mote. But it didn't look the way Ahri had hoped. It was definitely a mote of fire, but it was blue. Not only that, but the mote didn't orbit around him. Ahri took mental notes, remembering the size, the width, the height. It took ten seconds too long to form _just_ one. He needs to learn to make three in one second. The Gumiho couldn't blame him, after all it was his first attempt. He concentrated on the single mote, hoping that it would begin to orbit. Ahri watched the flow of chakra within the boy, making sure he wouldn't blow the mote.

 _Too many times the Byeong-shin blew something up._ Ahri giggled. _Maybe I should tell him to quite channeling chakra and just try again._

To her surprise, the mote simply glimmered and fizzed away leaving a faint trail of smoke in its wake. Naruto looked at the space the mote used to be and immediately fell into a horse's stance and channeled his chakra once again. Building the fire chakra within, heat and concentrated energy began to form all around him. The difference this time, he surrounded himself in a near invisible sphere of rotating chakra. Ahri raised a brow, surprised at his sudden innovation. Fire charka sprang from his abdomen, swirling and beginning to amalgamate into a beautiful sphere of blue inferno.

Just like before though, it took just about ten seconds to make the single mote. But unlike before, Naruto concentrated his chakra and before the two knew it, the single mote began to orbit around him. Sure it was working, but Ahri knew that Naruto couldn't keep channeling his chakra like that for long periods of time. She frowned catching the boy's attention.

"You have the theory behind the ability down, but you're doing it wrong." Ahri said. "While I commend you using your chakra as a carousel of sorts to _make_ the mote orbit, but the mote(s) need to move on their own. It will require you to learn to make the motes without a thought; the motes need to be created faster than ten seconds, it needs to be instantaneous."

"Alright." Naruto quickly nodded and fell to horse's stance once more. "Hey…I'm certain this sounds insane…but what if I mixed it with wind chakra?"

"What?" the Gumiho raised a brow.

"Wind chakra revolves around weightlessness." Naruto added. "Wind chakra makes things fly, float and cut, right? Hell the one wind technique I know is used for quick maneuvering and escaping from enemies. So what if I merged the fire chakra with my wind chakra to give the fire the wind it needs to _orbit_?"

"Well, if it's done right, it could work…" Ahri rested her thumb and index finger against her chin. "If done wrong, you could create an inferno and give yourself burns that could be more life threatening than usual. Just be extremely careful; wind amplifies fire."

 _Hmm. He has a point._ Ahri thought to herself. _Wasn't there a kekkei genkai that had something similar to my Fox Fire? It used the same theory behind merging the two chakra…but he doesn't have the kekkei genkai…and I won't dare mess with that stuff. After the last time, I was certain I'd kill him by accident!_

 _I guess all I can do for now is watch…_

Power surged within him. Bringing his tumbling chakra within to life, the portion of burning hot chakra seeped from his pores. Faster than the last two attempts, the chakra began to form together into the venerated mote of fire. If Ahri's eyebrows went any higher, she was certain they would end up against her hairline. _Five seconds! Amazing!_

Suddenly, wind chakra sprang from his body surrounding the mote of fire. She could see sweat building on his brow and neck. The wind chakra came to life, pushing the mote ever so slightly. Holding the tiger seal, the portion he set began to trickle like a small stream. As it orbited his torso, the ball of fire began to rotate on an invisible axis. Ahri watched it pick up speed, and before she lost sight of the orb, it orbited the boy so fast the fire was put out and he was left surrounded in a belt of volatile wind chakra. Ahri sighed taking another set of mental notes for later reference. _Too much wind chakra. At least he made one of the fireballs in half the time!_

"Seonsaeng Ahri!" Naruto panted, wiping beads of sweat from his brow. "What did you think? Any words of advice?"

"You did great, Naruto!" Ahri beamed. "But you need to cut back on your wind chakra. Too much and you create what you just created. The more wind chakra you use, the faster whatever you're trying move, moves."

"Okay!" Naruto cheered. "Less wind chakra, got it! Anything else?"

"This time, aim for two motes of fire. You'll need at least three motes of fire for this to really work."

"No problem, Seonsaeng Ahri! Let's go!"

* * *

Naruto fell back, panting heavily. He could swear the sweat was beginning to pool around him. Burn marks and scars covered his shirtless torso and bruised arms. In front of him, Jiraiya of the Sannin smirked at the blond boy's progress. Unprecedented growth in just four weeks and now, Jiraiya was beginning to see his former student in his godson. _Maybe I should take him on a training trip like I did with Minato…? Kakashi clearly hasn't been doing much for Naruto._

The blond genin quickly sat up, steam rising from the cuts and bruises, leaving clear but dirty skin. Rising to his feet, bones popped and almost as if his ass wasn't handed to him on a silver platter, Naruto quickly fell into another fighting stance, ready to face the taller, more experienced Toad Sage. Jiraiya wanted to laugh at the boy's determination, or was it stubbornness. The old man easily assumed the boy thought the two were synonymous.

"Alright, Naruto." Jiraiya called. "That's enough for today. With what Asuma has told me, you've progressed in elemental manipulation. He told me you're becoming proficient with the fire technique you were given and better yet, you've managed to take to your wind technique like a fish in water."

Naruto's cheeks turned red at the words of praise. "I-I mean…I was in the hospital a few times because of mistakes that always exploded…but I guess…"

"O-Ho!" Jiraiya bellowed with laughter. "Now, my boy! You deserve a reward!"

The boy's eyes glimmered. "W-What reward?!" _Is it ramen?! I haven't had ramen in four weeks!_

"You're not going to have ramen any time soon, Byeong-shin." Ahri cackled. "Now actually, I can guess where he's going."

 _The Hot Spring/ **The Hot Spring**_

The two droned with sarcasm dripping from their lips. But Ahri immediately came to a sudden realization. "Dong-saeng!"

 _Yes, Noona?_ Naruto winced from her sudden shout.

"This, as strange as it is to say, can actually work in our favor." Ahri smirked devilishly. "My third ability, which is used in conjunction with my other three, is called charm. It works similar to your genjutsu techniques, but instead of putting the target in an imaginary world with imaginary fears, it basically makes your target become a slave to your will and commands for a short period of time."

 _Interesting…_ Naruto smirked. _So let me take a guess. Because the Orb of Deception moves kinda slow and is required to come back and the Fox Fire is a sort of automated offensive-defense, when you use charm, you make the target walk towards you and you have a short window to unleash hell on their ass?_

"Basically!" Ahri smiled. "You have been on point lately Naruto…I'm beginning to think I am having a good influence on you!"

 _Will I need some sort of special chakra control to do this?_ Naruto asked with a slight hint of fear.

"Of course." Ahri laughed. "But this is different. While your previous chakra control exercises required you to cut and burn things…this will require you to leave your target unscathed and blemish free."

 _Ha!_ Naruto mentally cheered. _This'll be easy!_

"Now, now, Naruto." Ahri quickly held up a hand. "It's not as easy as you think. You channel your chakra, but through your breath. Since you have wind chakra, it'll be incredibly difficult for you to differentiate from you different forms of chakra."

 _Still._ Naruto sighed in relief. _With all the chakra control I've done and training I've been doing, there's no way in hell I can't get this down before the end of the day._

"Be careful." Ahri added. "You might have the same result as your first few attempts at performing the Ryūsui technique. Do it wrong and you might damage your throat again."

 _Now, now…it can't be **that** hard…_ Naruto's confidence dropped significantly, garnering a soft giggle from the resident Gumiho.

"Ditch the perv and head to your training grounds." Ahri ordered. "And send a clone to get some paper."

Leaving the white haired sage to head to the Hot Springs on his own, the Uzumaki found himself standing before a clone holding a sheet of paper. Next to the clone a semi-large stack of paper rested. Naruto held a ram hand sign, channeling chakra into the seal, all the while staring at the center of the paper. The goal was to let chakra radiate and absorb into the paper instead of damaging it. Naruto built chakra in his throat and like Ahri commanded, let forth a steady stream of chakra infused breath towards the sheet.

Naruto came to learn the hard way…always listen to Noona.

The wind coursing through his lungs and towards the paper was infused with wind chakra. The flow of chakra punched through the sheet of paper and pierced the shadow clone forcing it to pop. Suddenly, pain radiated from his chest, filling him with a strange recollection of getting hit with…a…wind…technique…

"What the hell?!" Naruto dropped the hand sign. "I-I just…but…no way… **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!** "

A series of pops were heard and in the wake of a sea of white smoke, an army of shadow clones appeared. He shut his eyes and fell into a meditative stance. Ahri was confused but stayed silent, awaiting his explanation. Suddenly, two bursts of smoke were head in the distance. Naruto's look of sudden pain registered. The Gumiho came to the same realization that the boy had as well. She was a fool to not let him use shadow clones at all during their month of training. If only, she could have learned of this beforehand and saved their asses a lot of pain!

"No way…" Naruto gasped. "I retain their memories?! Why did nobody tell me this?! What else do I get from them?"

"Maybe because no one but you has the monstrous chakra reserves to use the technique the way you do?" Ahri piped. "Okay…this is good development. We can use this to our advantage later…but right now…we don't have much time left to truly use this correctly."

"Alright…" With a simple thought, the clones disappeared. "Now onto the chakra control at hand…I guess I should be more careful about this…"

"Word of advice, Naruto." Ahri raised a finger. "Channel chakra to your larynx first before releasing your breath. If you don't want to blow kisses to men and women alike, then you will – what's with the look?"

"BLOW KISSES?!" Naruto nearly screamed. "What kind of sick joke is this?!"

"WELL I DID SAY IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BLOW KISSES!" Ahri shouted. "Look! I use my voice and I blow kisses too, okay! It works either way! I just do it to add extra damage and…HEY! Stop giving me that look!"

Naruto had a scowl on his face, disgusted and honestly really beginning to rethink going through with learning her charm ability. Why would he use it anyway, Naruto began to reason. He was an attacker, a defender an all-round offensive-defensive monster, not a guy who enthralls people with mind tricks and special genjutsu. Now, while as useful as it may seem, he –

"Oh, shut up, Naruto!" Ahri boomed. " **Just do the damn exercise!** "

 _Meep!_

Naruto immediately channeled chakra to his larynx, skin cold and with hairs standing on the back of his neck. Oh this was going to take a long while.

* * *

Smoke built off of his body as he fell to his knees. He panted heavily, clutching the blades of grass beneath him. Sweat dribbled down his neck and off his muscled arms. The landscape had been torn and there were small patches of grass still burning from his vicious assault. He collapsed, struggling to keep his breath. Before him, Sarutobi Asuma stood holding his steaming right hand. A smirk had formed on the man's face and it spelled the resounding feeling of success. Naruto took deep breaths, trying to calm his raging heartbeat.

"Damn good spar, kid." Asuma praised. "You had me on the ropes for a bit there. The shadow clone combination tactics you've used is unlike any I've seen. Also, with extra work on your shurikenjutsu, you can make your explosive tag strategy work to its highest potential."

Naruto fell back, sitting before his 'substitute' teacher. "What did you think of my ninjutsu?"

"I have to say that your ninjutsu is your second strongest area with taijutsu being your strongest." Asuma stated. "Your use of the Ryūsui to escape and get behind me was clever and genius if I say so myself. Most use that technique to escape rather than attack. And I can't forget your clones using ninjutsu to amplify your own. You are a walking army, kid. I don't doubt at all that you'll be more than a match for Hyuuga Neji. Hell, you might even kick his ass."

Naruto rose to his feet and bowed with the deepest respect he could muster. "Thank you, Asuma-sensei! For everything you've taught me! I promise I won't let you down next week in the Chunin Exams!"

"I know you won't kid." Asuma ruffled his blond hair a bit. "Now, I gotta go and meet up with some friends of mine. Take a load off, Naruto. You've worked unbelievably hard and some rest is well deserved."

Naruto nodded softly and watched the man take off through the trees and towards the rooftops. He took a deep breath before falling back into the grass. Unzipping his orange jacket, the cool winds embraced him in a soft grip, almost like a pillow.

"Seonsaeng Ahri…we have two days left…" Naruto sighed. "Two days left to get one more ability down."

"Alright." Ahri smiled. "By the way, great fight with Asuma. I thought you would have fought him to a standstill if he continued to hold back. Anyway. Your Orb of Deception can be thrown a short distance before falling apart and disappearing. While I don't blame or berate you, I say keep it in your hand and charge at your opponent if you plan on using it. We'll continue working on throwing the orb after the exams. Your Fox Fire is perfect if I say so myself. Eventually, you'll learn to make it bigger and more explosive. Your charm needs work but at least you can use it at close range. That debacle in the Hot Springs was interesting to say the least."

Naruto cringed.

"Now that you've gotten my basic abilities…" Ahri paused. "I think it's time for you to learn my ultimate ability."

Naruto perked.

"It's called, Spirit Rush." Ahri smiled. "It is my ultimate technique. It is the culmination of everything I have taught you, so expect more chakra control and explosive repercussions."

Color disappeared from the boy's face. "You've got to be kidding me…"

 _Let's have some real fun!_

* * *

 **Please, drop some reviews guys!  
And thank you for the love! This fanfiction has been well received so far!**

 **Next chapter will be the final stage of the Chunin Exams and Naruto's great fight with Neji!**

 **Translations:  
Byeong-shin = harshest way to say stupid in Korean  
Oppa = Used by girls or women when talking to a  
guy older; commonly used flirtatiously  
Noona = same as Oppa but used by guys to older girls  
also commonly used flirtatiously (Naruto of course doesn't know XD)  
Seonsaeng = Teacher  
Dong-saeng = Little brother  
Chae kkeut, Anchangsal, Chimasal, Bulgogi = all forms of 'Korean Barbecue'  
Kogi = basically fire roasted beef (See the translation above)  
**

 **So for the explanation behind chakra, I kinda felt that's how it works lol  
Friction at certain speeds causes heat and wind techniques are known to cut n shit idk, I like to think it made perfect sense**

 **Anyway!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	3. The Genius Prodigy and The Dead Last

**Hey! Another chapter!**

 **I just want to say this chapter was a lot of fun to write  
it is basically a showcase of how Naruto will be fighting  
against bosses in this story  
with his MIND  
XD**

 **I know, crazy huh?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Genius Prodigy and The Dead Last**

Naruto stood before his mirror, running his sapphire blue eyes along the image. He was contemplating whether he was truly ready. Ahri of course, gave him the pep talk of the century, building him up and even tearing him down, just to do it all over again. She wanted him to know that no matter the outcome of the day, the training he went through, the hard work he endured, was not for nothing. Better yet, even if he did _lose_ he still won in a way. It wouldn't be long before he was to leave his apartment and head to the arena; almost four hours remained. More than enough time to have breakfast and digest it all in time for the exam.

Running a hand through his blond hair, he found it was already drenched with nervous sweat. Running through his mind of his various attacks and new techniques, the confidence he had couldn't be broken, but it sure as hell was shaken. He couldn't throw the Orb of Deception at targets farther than five feet; and Charm, the most important ability apparently, always found a way to elude mastery. At least with his concentration and complete attention focused on chakra control, Fix Fire and the two ninjutsu were second nature to him. Better yet, with Spirit Rush, he learned to create extra motes of fire to launch out once he closes distance. With Ahri's constant commendation, she made the boy truly blush in ways no one ever made him.

Now, judgement was calling. It was the day he trained all month for; thirty-one days, non-stop. Save for the few he was hospitalized, of course. He bounced on his heels while sipping at a cup of milk. Eyes concentrated on the form he had, rather than how cool he looked. Setting the glass down, he halted, eyeing himself up and down. Maybe with all the berating and insults thrown his way because of his choice of attire had its merit. But to him, he couldn't just give it up; it was his life, his safety net. It was his first gift and he would be damned if he gave it up…but maybe, just maybe…he might give a new attire a chance.

Orange was bright and absolutely beautiful to the Uzumaki, but maybe some black would make him look slightly more professional (?). Maybe even change the color of his hitai-ate strap. All of these maybes, but not a single confirmation. He sighed in despair, pressing his hands against his knee caps. He fell to the floor running a shaky hand through his spiky blond hair. Ahri was within finally finished with her pep talks and words of confidence. The boy had to hand it to himself. While he may have regretted talking to the Gumiho in the first place, he was starting to enjoy her constant action and that ever so soft voice that echoed within the empty sewer halls that his mindscape was.

In the beginning, he couldn't stand her antics and her constant interruptions, but he was slowly beginning to get used to it. Now, it was more like background noise. It kept him awake and alert at all times without looking like a paranoid freak-show. This is not to say he _likes_ the mental anguish and emotional stress she put him through on a daily basis, but it's more _tolerable_ to an extent. It has become a staple for his days to be normal. Spend four weeks being trained by your inner fox demon, who happens to be the form of a gorgeous woman with a buxom chest, her being annoying, whimsical and _preppy_ , was moot and Naruto was beginning to overlook those… _unique features_.

 _Maybe she's like me…_ Naruto frowned running a hand against the natural whisker marks on his cheeks. _She clearly just wants a friend…someone to notice her…_

Taking a peek at his mindscape, Ahri was chasing after something he couldn't see. She looked like a puppy chasing after a butterfly. She jumped and giggled, shooting her tails in all directions trying to get better vantage points in the air above. She cheered and laughed and even threw her own Orb of Deception and played fetch with herself…now that the Uzumaki thought about it; this was the saddest thing he's ever seen.

 _She's alone…_

Naruto felt his heart pang.

 _She's alone…like I used to be…_

He sighed once more, running a hand through his hair once more, just for good measure. He rose to his feet, bouncing on his toes. Flashing a couple poses and even flexing his muscles, the Uzumaki was confident that even if he didn't win, he'd give black-haired dick-bag a fight he won't expect.

"Now why stop there, Dong-saeng?" Ahri suddenly piped. "Surprise EVERYONE. Make their jaws drop! I know what they desire. They want a show, so give em' a show!"

Naruto beamed at the fox within. "You're right…we have a few hours before the actual fight…"

With a single thought, a pair of shadow clones appeared with salutes and straight faces. Naruto handed both large rolls of paper slips. Without command or request, the three blonds fell to the floor with brushes and ink, drawing and writing down the most basic of fuinjutsu; explosive tags. Judging by his new strategy he developed with critiques from Asuma and Jiraiya, it will be the greatest surprise for the Hyuuga. They were similar to the Uchiha, for they always relied on their eyes of power; the only way to beat them, was to deceive the eyes.

* * *

Naruto walked through the streets, avoiding everyone and everything. Emotion, power and excitement all flittered together in an uneasy concoction. If anyone were to garner his attention, they could be at the mercy of his uneasy stomach and its contents. The damn thing has been grumbling since he'd left home; Ahri assured him that he was just nervous. But him? Nervous? What heresy is this?

"Ahri…are you sure I can do this?" Naruto asked with a slight shake.

The Gumiho in question sighed in exasperation. "For the MILLIONTH time…YES. I am completely SURE that you can do this! What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know…" Naruto took a deep breath. "I feel…wrong…like something will happen today…"

Ahri gave him a strange look. "Uhm…the only thing happening today is you kicking everyone's asses and getting that promotion!"

"I'm not worried about my performance…" Naruto whispered. His eyes perked, taking in the sight of various foreign shinobi within the village. "It's probably nothing but…"

"But nothing." Ahri finished. "Worrying about foreigners and what they _might_ do or what you _think_ they might do will throw you off your edge. C'mon, get into the stadium."

Naruto walked past the large crowd of civilians and shinobi gathered at the southern gate. People parted for him but not one person cheered him on. They were probably too busy fighting with the people standing next to them than to give wishes of luck. Yes…that's what it was. Naruto trudged through the large hallway following the dim light at the end. Normally, people would tell you not to follow the light; this was clearly what they meant. Once he burst into the arena, every eye would be on him. He was the FIRST fight for crying out loud! With courage boiling in his stomach, he stood upright, with his head held high and a victorious smirk spread across his face.

"Tone down the testosterone." Ahri giggled. "I doubt you want people thinking you're a cocky little bastard now."

He grumbled. "I am trying to get my game face on!"

The Gumiho shot a hand to her face, doing her best to hide the beaming smile threatening to rip her face in two. "T-That's your game face?"

"Y-Yeah…" Naruto's smile dropped as he quickly deflated. "I inspired an entire classroom during the first part of the chunin exams with that smile!"

"Well it must be a one shot wonder! Because I feel rather uninspired." Ahri cackled much to Naruto's ire. "I doubt your smile was the icing on the cake."

"At least I did something!" He quickly crossed his arms over his chest. "The bloody people around me were making me sweat."

That was it. Ahri fell back holding her stomach, barely able to catch a breath. "You can handle flayed skin, burned skin and even explosions at point-blank, but you get scared of failing a written test?! BAHAHA!"

"W-Why you…?!" Naruto was at a loss. "Urgh. You're right…"

The fox sat up, wiping a stray tear from her face. "Now I wish you contacted me before the chunin exams; I would have loved to see your forlorn expression when looking at your menial human things!"

"This is why I am so confused by what you want." Naruto deadpanned. "You say things that are insulting and you even call me your 'adorable little human' and whatever a Dong-saeng is…you…you're not even listening to me."

Ahri was on all fours, eyes racing left and right. Her teeth were barred reminding the Uzumaki of Kiba. "Noona? W-What's wrong?"

"I sense…" She whispered to herself. " **Kurama…"**

"He's h-here?!" Color disappeared from Naruto's face. "I-I'm not r-ready to fight him!"

 **"Shut up, Naruto."** Ahri's voice was dark and menacing. She'd risen and taken the form of the giant demon fox that destroyed his village. **"It's not Kurama…but one of his brethren…their chakra is toxic and holds a similar scent to Kurama's…"**

"Gaara, right?" Naruto asked.

 **"Like I know the shit's name."** Ahri spat. **"The fact he's here…and carries one of Kurama's brethren…it can only mean that we have ourselves an opportunity to get some information."**

"Like hell he will sit down to _talk_ about Kurama." Naruto responded with a glare. In Ahri's raging roars and bellowing volume, he missed the wondrous welcome he'd received when he entered the Arena.

 **"I'll make him talk."** Ahri's anger showed no signs of calming down.

"Great."

Once Naruto took his spot next to Hyuuga Neji, he finally took the time to witness the people present. The sand siblings were present; Shikamaru was surprisingly in line before him; Shino waited silently as creepily as usual; the Sound mummy shinobi stood in between the two Konoha shinobi. The Uzumaki took this moment to chuckle softly, gaining the Nara's attention. When Shikamaru looked at him, Naruto could see the pain in his eyes; the sorrow and despair. The lazy bastard had to fight two people without the hour nap in between like he had hoped for.

But once the laughter had died, so did the carefree feeling. Next to the blond, he could feel the Hyuuga glaring at him. The hostility permeated through the air and even through his skin and into his heart. Neji was bringing everything to the table if the sudden skip in heartbeat meant anything. The Hyuuga was clenching his fists, struggling to keep in his anger. Within his mindscape, Naruto could assume that Ahri and the Hyuuga were one and the same. This was too much for the blond. Ahri had not once returned to her woman-thing form.

Given time, he'd wager at least a few more hours before she fell back to her standard, more beautiful state. Her eyes glowed with a fiery rage at the mere instance she felt the chakra. Naruto eyed the fellow Jinchuriki with a weary look on his face. His siblings were also subject to his watchful ire. Strange, he thought, that an entire team of siblings would make it through the entire test with little to no problem most of the way. As far as he knew, Gaara was flawless and blemish free. The Cat-suit make-up wearing guy, the name continued to elude the inquisitive Uzumaki, used his puppets to keep people at a distance. The girl…Temari? Yes, Temari, easily defeated Tenten in an embarrassingly fast and easy manner.

Gaara though, from what the blond could remember, used his sand as some sort of shield against all things offensive. He was practically impervious to physical attacks, unless one moved as ridiculously fast as Lee. Naruto frowned; there was no way that he himself could go that fast, at least not now. The amount of training and body conditioning the young chakra devoid shinobi went through, must have been tremendous. To break the sand walls, tendrils, tentacles and other strange things that look like they belong in Jiraiya's books, took amazing skill that even broke the sand armor the redhead encased himself in.

 _I wonder…_ Naruto took a moment to ponder. _If somehow I don't add my physical strength to my spiritual strength, I could, in theory, make an Orb of Deception the way Ahri makes it. But how in the hell do I not mix physical strength into chakra to create essence?! The bloody fox didn't teach me that crap saying 'oh I'd prefer it if you just used chakra~'_

 _But if somehow I could make it work…I could rip the spiritual side of his chakra right from the sand. Last I checked, for physical strength to come into play, you'd have to actually have contact with the object; the essence is what controls the physical aspect…so that would break his circle of defense and leave him open for assault! Now onto how I'm going to get the ball to hit him…_

 _I can't throw the orb more than a meter before it deforms and evaporates. Charging up to the guy is practically suicide, especially with how I run now…maybe I should talk to Guy-sensei sometime and ask to join in on his training regimen…I mean it works for Lee? I could work for me too! Oh well…right now I just have to defeat Neji._

A great roar rocked him from his musings. The stadium was packed with people from all over the village and the villages that participated in the Chunin Exams. He was amazed to see this many people, cheering out their various names, raising banners and throwing their hands into their air. It was like a celebration! He did the only thing he could think of; he beamed a smile. People laughed and cried out some more. At the sudden rise of the crowds, he couldn't help himself; his confidence sprang to heights unknown before. The worry he felt before entering the arena had been forgotten.

"Now." A great booming voice echoed throughout the stadium, silencing the thunderous crowd. "Since the end of the last war, the Chunin Exams served as a way to bring villages together, to form stronger bonds between the many peoples of our nations. With peace and great love between Konohagakure and Sunagakure, I would like to say, as the Hokage of this great village, let the fights BEGIN!"

If the crowd was loud before, now they were booming. Naruto could have sworn he felt the ground shake beneath his feet. Stones tumbled as men, women and children stomped their feet, clapped their hands and cheered on the combatants. The blond took a deep, shaking breath. Doing his best to calm the racing heart and churning stomach, he turned to face Neji. Over the roaring and waving crowd, the boys and girl in the center were escorted away, save for the genius prodigy and the dead last.

"Fate has determined this fight from the start." Neji prodded. "You cannot win against me."

Naruto stayed silent, not entirely giving the fellow genin the time of day. Sure he could read the boy's lips but he sure as hell wasn't listening. His hand found its way into his pocket. Blue eyes examined the stands and podiums, eyeing the various shinobi taking seats or standing around. Strange as it was, he was even able to pick up the tell-tale signs of ANBU, having spent some time as a youth running from them after pulling pranks (in hindsight, he found them ridiculous and immature; he could do so much better!), he learned to notice their tracks. Also, it helped that Ahri was helping him out slightly. Maybe his theory-

"Hey, kid!" Genma shouted. "Are you ready-?"

Naruto quickly answered in a haphazard way. "Yeah…"

Anyway; maybe his theory about something happening was right. After all, ANBU wouldn't be taking positions along the stadium rooftops otherwise. But even with his newfound perception, what that event was exactly, was beyond him. He contemplated, completely ignoring the roaring bells, whistles, cries and shouts. He even ignored the incoming palm strike.

* * *

"Hey!" Neji cried. "Dead last! Why aren't you looking at me?!"

Naruto didn't even seem to have heard the irate genin. Neji scoffed, clenching his fists before falling into a stance. The crowd continued shouting, and Neji could have sworn they only got louder at Naruto's obvious defiance.

"Alright!" Genma cried over the screaming audience. "Hyuuga Neji! Are you ready?!"

"Yes!" He huffed, bringing his hands up prepared to strike.

"Uzumaki Naruto! Are you ready?!" The jōnin looked at the blond to find his eyes scanning the crowds instead of the fight at hand. "Hey, kid! Are you ready-?!"

"Yeah…"

Neji broke stance for a moment, surprised, appalled even, at the dead last's gall to answer a jōnin like that. He couldn't understand the gall the no name weakling had to not even give him the time of day. Neji growled and waited for the order to begin. As the proctor raised his hand, Naruto's demeanor hadn't changed, almost as if his mind shut down. _Not surprising for the dead last._

"Begin!"

Whistles, horns and shouts rang about. Genma quickly jumped back clearing room between the two genin. Neji held steady expecting the foolish blond to attack without thinking like he did with dog breath. But he was surprised to find the Uzumaki not moving or even falling into a defensive position, or any stance at all! It was infuriating!

"GRAH!" Neji sped forward, chakra building in his palm. " **Shōtei!** "

Chakra exploded off of his bandaged palm as he closed the distance in a near blink of an eye. Ino screamed and a few were amazed at the skill the genin held. As the crowd shouted, the Konoha Twelve, sans the Uchiha, held their breath. Naruto hasn't shown any sign of paying attention to the Hyuuga

But Naruto wasn't known to be the most unpredictable ninja for nothing.

* * *

In the shroud of smoke and cold blood, Neji jumped back. A few back flips and even hurling a flurry of kunai for good measure, he landed a few meters away from the large cloud of smoke. Judging by the fight Naruto had with dog breath during the preliminaries, shadow clone smoke shouldn't be as large or last as long as it was at this moment. Even stranger; the smoke was made completely of chakra, leaving everything within and behind in an almost impenetrable shroud, leaving him effectively blind. Whatever hid in there or behind were invisible to his Byakugan. He glared building chakra all around him in an attempt to break through the smoke cloud.

"Take this!"

He whipped around. _The voice came from behind?!_

Thanks to the dōjutsu, he could see the flurry of kunai and shuriken heading his way. Like the expert ordained by fate, like he proclaimed, he weaved and dodged each flying projectile. Little did he know, he was losing his footing and started moving back. As the kunai continued flying, the Hyuuga grew bored as almost burst out laughing at how simple this attack was. Channeling chakra throughout his body, he spun at amazing speeds, creating a great barrier that looked impenetrable. Kunai and shuriken bounced off making the Hyuuga laugh all the harder.

Once the attacks halted, he cut channeling the chakra and the Kaiten disappeared. "Is that it, Naruto?!"

"No." The boy's voice sounded. "Why don't you turn around and have a look for yourself?"

Neji whipped back, fallen into a stance with a glare marring his face. Naruto stood with a smirk and a kunai drawn. The fool thought he could fight him with taijutsu?! How did he get behind him?! So many questions, so fast but Neji couldn't comprehend. With wide eyes and a steady palm, the Hyuuga faced the foolish blond. "You can keep playing this game, Naruto…but fate has already-"

"Yada, yada, yada." He stuck his tongue out. "Get on with it, bastard!"

Naruto smirked when the Hyuuga held still and steady. It looks like he was going to start off the hostilities.

Wasting no time, Naruto dashed forward, lunging his kunai forward. He was unbelievably close. If it were not for the Byakugan, Neji was certain the Uzumaki would have managed to graze his cheek. With chakra in his palm, he forced the attack into the boy's stomach. With a cry of pain, Naruto was launched back in a painful heap.

"Weak…" Neji gave a hearty laugh. "Foolish of you to engage me in…not again!"

'Naruto' popped into smoke, just like the first time.

 **"Katon: Gōkakyū no jutsu!"**

Instincts kicked in. Neji shot forward dodging the sudden blast of fire. Of all the elements the boy had, Neji would have never assumed he had the fire affinity. The flames danced and ate through the grass, forcing him towards the edge of the stadium towards the bushes and trees. Without a second thought, he jumped away dodging a great ball of fire before it incinerated the dirt to black. He landed on a tree branch, wiping the mist from the metal plate on his hitai-ate. Pressing a hand against his bandaged arm, he found that parts of the cloth had been singed.

 _How the hell is he doing this?_ Neji took a moment to think of the situation.

"I wouldn't stop running if I were you!" Naruto's voice echoed from behind.

 _How is he showing up everywhere?!_ He jumped away when he sensed chakra building. Quickly drawing a kunai from his holster, he hurled a kunai right back towards the source of the voice. Judging by the sparks he witnessed, Naruto was also good at deflecting kunai and shuriken. In response, a kunai shot towards the Hyuuga, whizzing through the air, piercing the wind. Neji channeled chakra to his hand mid-air and bashed the kunai knife, sending it flying in the opposite direction. _That can't be all…_

The kunai spun away, releasing the string wrapped around its handle. Suddenly, a paper tag with seals drawn all over it appeared, waving in the wind. Neji sighed in relief when he realized the kunai was too far away to do any damage to him. Turning his attention to the raging fire behind him, his eyes trailed over to the group of shadow clone surrounding who he assumed was the real Naruto. Drawing a handful of kunai and shuriken, he prepared himself for the perfect counter attack on the genin with a doppelganger fetish.

But.

This was too easy…

From the glowing seal, a pair of kunai sprang forth with paper tags attached. Neji took no notice as he hurled his kunai while still mid-air. To the people in the stands, many had lost their voice and cheers at the reveal of Naruto's abilities. Especially the Hyuuga clan that came to witness the exams. Neji, the genius prodigy of the generation was bested throughout the fight through ruse after ruse. The boy was falling for tricks and underhand tactics, almost as if his Byakugan wasn't real. It should have been obvious at this point that most of the Naruto's he went after weren't even him! But for some reason, the clones were so convincing, not even the Hyuuga could tell which one was the real Naruto.

Suddenly, the pair of kunai appeared next to Neji, the paper tags tickling the back of his neck. Hairs stood and his skin went cold. Unable to hold onto his kunai for another second.

"Fuck-"

* * *

Naruto tilted his head slightly. Neji fell to the ground, covered in smoke and burn marks singeing his clothes. But otherwise, the genin was completely alright. Naruto was crouched on a branch watching the entire fight unfold. Much like the way Ahri always squatted, his arms were in between his legs holding onto the branch. The winds were on his side, favorable for another flurry of kunai. It's funny, Naruto was intending to lead him towards the first death trap he'd set for the Hyuuga. From the dark heap of ash and burned dirt, Neji pushed himself from his suffering defeat and pat himself down.

Shutting his eyes, the clones in action went to work. A pair stood before Neji, both going through two different hand sign combinations. One ended with tiger and the other ended with bird. If the Hyuuga wasn't already surprised enough, the boy was certain Naruto had the entire village duped for thinking the boy an idiot. He fell into a stance, blowing chakra through his tenketsu. From what his Byakugan could see, chakra was rushing through his coils, burning through his tenketsu towards his hands. The jutsu the boy was planning on using was definitely going to be something else.

 **"Kaiten!"** Neji cried.

Wind and fire blended together forming an inferno unlike any other and both were basic attacks! Winds spun forcing life and wondrous heat into the simple fireball. It stretched, writhed and began to spiral towards the horrified Hyuuga. In the stands, the three rows closest to the ledge backed away from how hot the arena had become. Within the high walls, if Neji did nothing to defend himself or escape, it would be nothing short of pottery kiln temperatures.

The great blast met with the Kaiten, dispersing at first touch. Chakra exploded outwards, forcing the fire to stretch out even more. Given life, the fire turned, following the opposite of Neji's Kaiten rotation. Neji could feel his rotation slowing down. Heat pierced through the dome of chakra, slowly burning away at the thick shield. In a last ditch effort, he channeled a large portion of the remaining chakra into his defense, speeding his spin. If he was right, his attempt would create winds, with or without chakra imbued, that would force the growing tower of fire to disappear.

 **"Kai!"** Chakra exploded outwards, all the while, still following the previous rotation direction. Like a gorgeous light show from professional jōnin shinobi, the overgrown fireball turned tornado, exploded outwards, dissipating into mid-air, releasing the heat, allowing the cool air to return. Neji breathed heavily trying his best to regain chakra in the midst of the fight, still unknowing of Naruto's true location. His Byakugan had deactivated driving the nail. He took a deep breath, eyes aching slightly.

"Hey…" Naruto's voice echoed. "If I were you, I'd look down."

Neji whipped around, facing the blond. "Fight me like a man instead of hiding in the shadows-!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Naruto raised a finger. "A shinobi never attacks in broad daylight. We're assassins, are you stupid? Oh well…I guess I will have to finish this. **Kai!** "

Neji snapped his Byakugan open, feeling a rush of chakra from all over the place. Three-hundred and sixty degree vision my ass; Naruto laughed. Surrounding him, there were ten kunai, each with explosive tags attached. Neji stared in fear and surprise; Naruto must have done so during the fire attack! Now that Neji thought about it, these kunai weren't new. He was right back to where he started, but instead, he was trapped within a circle of explosive tags. With how much chakra he used already, using another Kaiten this soon was out of the question. The only way to win was to catch Naruto within his field of divination; as close as possible.

Bringing his arms to his face, the tags glowed faster than he could process a response. The crowds in the stands were horrified and honestly intrigued at Naruto's sudden skill and perception. More so, the Kazekage of Sunagakure. To Hiruzen, the fellow Kage and his deep interest bordering on mild obsession was…unsettling to say the least. The eyes of the Kazekage seemed planted, with glints of fear, excitement and surprise mixed together. While he himself felt the exact same way, the look in the man's eyes was making him nervous.

"What…an impressive genin you have there, Hokage-dono." The man said. "I am taken aback by his skill."

"I am as well…" Hiruzen replied with a smile, all the while taking a few puffs of his long-pipe. "Naruto was called the dead last for a long time, but to see him holding his own, hell keeping someone hailed as a genius on his toes is…astounding."

The Kazekage, judging by the slight curl in his eyes, Hiruzen assumed the man was smiling. "I am looking forward to seeing a fight between him and my son, Gaara. I am curious to see if he can recreate the same results."

Hiruzen tilted his head slightly. "What of Uchiha Sasuke; your interest has been commonly placed mainly on him. What changed your mind?"

"What can I say…?" The man laughed softly. "I judged a book by its cover and missed out on a great story. Now it's time to watch it unfold, I suppose. Speaking of the Uchiha; has he shown his face yet?"

The Hokage shook his head. "Knowing how his sensei is always late, Uchiha Sasuke will more than likely follow suit. Now, back to the fight!"

* * *

In the arena, a great explosion shook the battlefield, tearing apart the center of the arena. The crowds jumped and screamed, while most were in awe, amazed by the light show. With the tower of fire gone, a few of the more excited witnesses rose from their seats and held onto the railing to see the rest of the fight unfold. Whoever taught Naruto how to use explosive tags the way he was, is a goddamn genius, a few jōnin and chunin thought to themselves. Many haven't seen such a fight before. The genin of the Konoha Twelve were gripping the railings excited and honestly scared of Naruto's newfound abilities.

The participants of the exams were none too different. They were slack-jawed and even confused of Naruto's abilities. While he wasn't using extreme ninjutsu or amazing taijutsu, he was smart with what he had. He rarely engaged Neji in taijutsu unless it was with a clone with the sole purpose of distracting the Hyuuga and his 'all-seeing' eyes. If the boy's pride and strange way of thinking isn't broken, then the power the Hyuuga coveted and held above all else, their eyes, is all just a light and easily manipulated. But of course, Neji was not the best Hyuuga, nor was he anywhere near the strongest.

Shikamaru watched as a pair of shadow clones engaged Neji, popping and dropping explosive kunai, sending the Byakugan enhanced Hyuuga haywire. While Naruto's strategy was sound, he had yet to see the real Naruto arrive. Every time it would seem that he appeared, it would be revealed to be nothing more than a shadow clone, disappearing at every confrontation after dropping a kunai with some sort of fuinjutsu attached to distract and break Neji's concentration. Whatever Naruto was planning, he was purposely dragging it out. Whether his plans were to distract Neji or prove a point, it was almost as if he was playing.

Once more, a pair of clones gathered just a few meters away from the Hyuuga, still trapped and locked within the center of the arena. They sped through a similar combination of hand seals. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, leaning against the railings. He was going to use the same attack once more. Knowing how Naruto thought; if it ain't broke, don't fix it, was the rule of thumb for the blond. While he might have subscribed to that thought; Naruto has surprised Shikamaru a lot over the last month of training and with Naruto's new abilities and knowledge, this plan of his obviously had more to it. He stayed silent, listening and watching the fight, drowning out the gasps coming from his fellow competitors.

Once the fire shot forth, the ball was stretched by the wind technique the boy learned from Asuma-sensei. Shika tilted his head slightly, taking sight of a few kunai thrown through the fire. Narrowing his eyes, the wind technique had two jobs; feed the fire and make it stronger without using excessive chakra and propel the kunai through the blaze without throwing them off target and following the path of the fire. But instead of the constant use of explosive tags, the kunai had no such thing attached. Neji once again activated his Kaiten, deflecting the jutsu and the kunai this time with relative ease. It was almost as if Naruto was giving the Hyuuga a chance to read his movements and create a strategy to counter.

The Nara didn't know if Naruto was being cocky or had a reason for doing this, but either way, it was suicide. Through the smoke and residual fire, Naruto, or was it a clone, dashed through with a kunai in each hand. Neji dodged the attacks, weaving and even doing his best to land his own attacks. Neither was hitting the other; both were too fast and for some reason, the Byakugan couldn't hit the tenketsu. But…it was then that Naruto made a fatal mistake. Shikamaru sighed in disappointment, lowering his head. The Hyuuga slammed his palm into Naruto's chest, stunning him just enough for him to fall into a stance.

Being a clan heir, Shikamaru has had enough contact with other Hyuuga to recognize the famous gentle fist stance. Shikamaru garnered the attention of his fellow competitors. "Naruto just lost the fight…it was a great run."

"Two palms!"

The strikes were so powerful, they could hear them from the competitor's box.

"Four palms!"

Naruto cried out with obvious pain in his voice.

"Eight palms!"

Chakra exploded through his back, sending shivers up and down those to witness.

"Sixteen palms!"

With hands moving like lightning, Naruto barely had enough time to take a breath.

"Thirty-two palms!"

Naruto roared as the chakra ceased to flow through his body. A couple pops in the trees were seen with shadow clone smoke rising into the air.

"SIXTY-FOUR PALMS!"

Like a flurry of hands and blinding speed, the final attack send a massive shockwave of chakra. Naruto flew back, numb and feeling almost a new man. His arms were weak and he could barely move. Short of breath and options, the Uzumaki struggled to get to his feet. He tried his best to ignore the searing pain pulsating throughout various parts of his body. Neji did his best to hold back his laughter, Naruto was still trying to fight him?! Feeling vain, or even cocky, he deactivated his Byakugan, confident in the damage he had inflicted on the blond idiot. He smiled and gave Naruto a condescending look.

"You were destined to lose…fate demanded it." Neji spoke. "You're a loser, Naruto. You will never progress, you will never rise higher than the positon fate has given you. You have no family, you have no name, and the only thing you have is a handful of childish tricks and underhand tactics. None of that will make you a great warrior. I heard you wanted to be Hokage, so I'll do you a favor today and show you that fate cannot be changed. You will never be Hokage!"

Naruto looked up to the Hyuuga, sapphire eyes burning with defiance. "Your words fall upon deaf ears, bastard. Look around you…look at the crowds, look at the other competitors…"

The boy rose to his feet, wobbly legged and weak. Neji though, quickly shot his foot forward, forcing Naruto to his knees once more. People were at the edge of their seats, watching in silence. "Why do you insist of resisting fate?! I am more than certain you can't even knock this hitai-ate from my head!"

"Your pride and your selfish ideals…" Naruto coughed out, still numb from the Hyuuga's onslaught. "You've revealed your egotistical self-centered cynical bullshit – Ugh!"

"Shut up!" Neji rammed his palm into Naruto's face. "Killing you is allowed, but killing the dead last is like taking out the trash; it'll be nothing more than a chore. Do us all a favor…and surrender now."

Rising from the dirt to face the irate Hyuuga once more, Naruto smiled as blood trickled from his broken nose. "Try again."

Suddenly, Naruto disappeared, revealing nothing but smoke. Neji's eyes practically popped from his head. Like a fish, he was left flabbergasted, mouth gaping and closing. His heart dropped to his stomach and he was certain his bladder had just loosened. How did a shadow clone take all of that and not disappear?! Where the hell is the real Naruto?! Neji clenched his fists, cursing himself for deactivating the Byakugan. Once the veins appeared, many chakra signatures had appeared throughout the shrubs and trees surrounding the base of the arena walls. He gritted his teeth, wiping his arm across his misted hitai-ate plate, surprised at how damp the strap is.

Up in the stands, Shikamaru was silent, regretting his instant assumption of finality. When it came to Naruto, there was no such thing as the end; either someone won, or someone lost. He rested his palm against his pounding forehead, still reeling from Naruto's strategy. Since the fight began with the first flurry of kunai to letting Neji use his sixty-four palms attack, everything was deliberate. The Nara was glaring at this point, trying to decipher each move and attack. It was just such a strange strategy. Most would have gone for kill hits to end the fight as quickly as possible…but…Naruto was dragging it out. For some reason, he has not once shown up to fight Neji himself. Every confrontation was made using clones and ninjutsu and shurikenjutsu.

He couldn't fathom what Naruto was planning. Maybe it wasn't as black and white as Shikamaru thought, but Naruto, even with training with Jiraiya and Asuma-sensei, the boy hadn't shown any signs of intense cognitive function; at least not at this magnitude! Naruto wasn't stupid, but he was more a simple-minded, straight forward kind of fighter. All their spars were very straight forward with him charging with shadow clones and using ninjutsu to supplement his assault, but never did he use them like this! It was clear Naruto was trying to teach him a lesson. _Oh right…the promise he made to Hinata…but is all of this necessary, Naruto? Just beat him and be done with it!_

Kunai and shuriken rained upon the Hyuuga. Shikamaru watched Neji struggle to deflect them all. Judging by how long it had been since he last used the Kaiten, the Nara assumed that he was dangerously low on chakra. From all sides, coming from the base of the arena walls, the projectiles rushed at the Hyuuga. While Shika couldn't decipher how many exactly, there had to be at least ten shadow clones hurling their armament at the boy stuck to the center. He ducked, weaved, deflected and even made kunai and shuriken bump into each other. With the Byakugan activated, the Nara knew Neji stood at least a sliver of chance against this relentless assault, but it wouldn't be long before the dōjutsu deactivated again.

While Shikamaru originally assumed he deactivated the Byakugan because he wanted to chide and belittle Naruto, it was a simple ploy to hide his lack of chakra. Dramatic and distracting, and quite frankly, it worked. The people still think Neji is holding his own thanks to the power of the Byakugan, there are whispers about the Byakugan coming from the crowd and witnesses, terrified and awestruck by the power of the dōjutsu. But with it working on the masses, it came with its price. Naruto must think that Neji is still dangerous because of his power.

"Where is Naruto?" Shika asked himself.

From the corner of his eyes, the trees rustled and leaves shook from their branches. As kunai danced and shot in all directions from the Hyuuga in the center, something was moving in the shadows. Shikamaru could see the desperation on Neji's face. Every few kunai would explode in smoke revealing a shadow clone armed with a kunai. Through the flurry, they too would throw their weapon before dispelling. As if the problems couldn't get any harder, every few kunai were armed with smoke tags. They would explode around him, covering the area with a thin smoke still leaving him visible like a screen of steam. Once more, the leaves rustled catching Shikamaru's attention.

"This ends now!"

The voice echoed with power and anger. Everyone shot from their seats, covering their eyes from the glare of the sun above. Ascending into the air, a boy dressed in orange was rising at a steady pace. Shikamaru watched with a raised brow and a confused face. Naruto rose his right hand just as he began to reach Neji's position. Chakra coalesced within his palm, combining into a gorgeous blue ball that had its own rotating orbs of chakra. In the Kage box, the two Kage gasped in surprise. Is that the rasengan?! The long-pipe fell from Hiruzen's mouth and tapped on the concrete floor, spilling the burning tobacco embers. _Did Jiraiya teach him the rasengan?!_

"Take this, idiot!"

Turning his weight to face Neji, Naruto descended twice as fast. The wind beat against his skin as he struggled to get his chakra control right. While the Orb of Deception couldn't be thrown farther than a meter before dissipating, he would take full advantage of this. Channeling chakra around himself, and towards the Orb, he began to spin following the roaring wind. The orbiting balls of chakra merged with the orb. Strangely enough, the ball of orb took a new form, absorbing the different rotations into one, creating a volatile rotating Orb of Deception.

 _Did he just create the rasengan?!_ Ahri's jaw dropped. _No fucking way…_

 _I have almost no chakra left! I have to do this!_ Neji channeled the remainder of his chakra into one last ditch defense. **"Kaiten!"**

Kunai and shuriken were blown back at his defense. If Naruto was on the ground facing the Hyuuga, he would have taken a few steps back and let a pair of clones distract him enough to make him waste chakra. But he wasn't on the ground and with the amount of chakra he had used, he was beginning to feel fatigued slightly. He had no choice but to meet the Kaiten full speed. Time seemed to slow for him as he spun through the air. Shutting his eyes for a moment, he reminisced the memories of the clones destroyed throughout the fight. Naruto took a deep breath; Neji could only see at a maximum of eighty meters; the entire arena was one hundred meters in every direction.

Thanks to that impediment, Naruto placed four clones at each quadrant, examining Neji's movements and skills in a three-hundred and sixty degree view. But the most important detail, the Kaiten rotated to left at a top speed of almost forty-five knots. If Ahri's mathematical tutorials were of any merit, he'd have to counter with a speed similar or stronger in the opposite direction if he is to break through the Kaiten through both brute force and chakra. But he wasn't going fast enough and there were only ten more meters left before he closed distance with the raging dome of power.

With a single thought, the clones stopped hurling their kunai and shuriken and sped through hand seals faster than anyone had ever seen. Time still felt slow to him, giving him the advantage. First, a blast of wind struck him holding steady and spinning him slightly faster than before. But as he descended and corkscrewed through the air, he gained speed and virulent wind in his wake. And he, himself, didn't have to use an ounce of chakra! Struck almost ten times by ten different shadow clones expending their chakra to the point of dispelling was the greatest idea he had!

"Naruto!" Ahri's voice sounded for the first time during the fight. "You're not going fast enough!"

 _What the fuck?!_ Naruto's face paled slightly as he barreled towards the rotating dome of doom. _What do I do?! If I'm not going fast enough, I could seriously injure myself or even worse; kill myself!_

"You think I don't know that?!" Ahri responded with a glare. "Look! You have one choice; you have to remove the physical aspect of the Orb of Deception the instant you are bounced back and release the Orb through the done! It is your only chance to disable him!"

 _But you NEVER taught me how to do it!_ Naruto roared.

"It's because I don't know how to do it!" Ahri roared back. "Ever since I've had my chakra; if you hadn't noticed, I've become like you shinobi! I can't split my chakra in two anymore since my master taught me how to use chakra – ugh, why am I explaining this; just do what I said! You have no choice but to do so or else risk everything!"

Gritting his teeth in frustration, chakra screamed from his tenketsu as he rocketed toward the Hyuuga. With his arm extended, the rotating ball of volatile chakra smashed against the rotating dome. Without a thought, Naruto did exactly as he was told. Taking the seemingly frozen time to figure out how to do so, he channeling his strength towards his arms instead of the orb. While it felt like nothing was changing, the ball and him, were spinning violently against the dome like Kiba and his Gatsūga when driven against solid targets. Chakra exploded in all directions breaking both the orb and the Kaiten, sending both genin flying in opposite directions!

"That clearly didn't…" Naruto coughed heavily, gripping the grass. "Go to plan…"

"Shit…" Ahri rested her soft palm against her forehead. "I'm stupid for thinking it could be possible to do that…at least you kept up the orb until the last second; else, we'd both be dead."

"The instant I realized it wasn't doing anything, I channeled more chakra towards the ball…" Naruto growled at the Hyuuga struggling to his feet. "I think it's time to finish this…I think Spirit Rush is in order…"

"No." Ahri narrowed her eyes. "You've been unpredictable up to this point; you've only revealed your shadow clones, shurikenjutsu and skill with basic ninjutsu to make them far more effective together than what they would on their own. I commend you for saving the orb up until now, and thankfully, I suppose, that we didn't get to show what it could truly do. We need to keep our opponents on their toes and guessing."

"So you're saying keep them thinking this is all I can do?" Naruto wondered. "I can see the benefit in that…besides…don't the foreign shinobi seem tense?"

"That's why I don't want all of our cards revealed too soon." Ahri glared at the Hyuuga sauntering up to them.

"Naruto." Neji had a cocky smirk spread across his face. "It seems my hitai-ate hasn't been removed yet. You're still just as much of a loser as I thought. Judging by how slow and weak your chakra flow is, you're beginning to run low, aren't you?"

"What is your problem?" Naruto said through gritted teeth. "You act so high and mighty when you yourself aren't much better. I can see it in your demeanor and stance; you're surprised yourself that you can even walk after all the shit I put you through. I'm certain you're wondering how you're walking and survived the horde of paper bombs I unleashed. Secret; they were not meant to harm you."

Neji looked like he took a blow to his ego. "What?"

"You survived because I wanted you to." Naruto smirked. "Every paper bomb had a purpose to serve; each clone, each word spoken had a purpose to fulfill and damn it, Neji; you fell right into my hands so perfectly. It was almost like **_I_** am the genius and **_you_** are the dead last – ugh!"

"Shut up!" Neji roared, ramming a Shōtei into Naruto's chest.

But instead of flying back, Naruto's foot shot back. Without the Byakugan active, Neji's jaw was kissed by Naruto's steel toes. He fell back, dazed and head reeling from the attack. The indomitable blond returned with fists and legs spread in a stance. Closing the distance with a quick one-two punch, Neji struggled to defend against the double strike. As the attacks and strikes kept coming, the Hyuuga ducked, dodged and blocked, but he couldn't counter. Just when Neji thought he caught a flaw in Naruto's defense, the boy did something he did not expect.

Naruto fell to the dirt and swept his legs out from under him!

The crowds roared, rising from their seats once more, cheering at the rising action. Neji rolled away dodging an axe-kick just in time. Planting his heel into the dirt, Naruto spun around with his left leg prepared to drop another axe-kick. Without the Byakugan, Naruto made sure not to underestimate the Hyuuga; he was a dangerous opponent with or without his dōjutsu active. Just before his heel could meet Neji's face, he brought his arms up to block the incoming strike just in time. In an attempt to grab him for a submission, Naruto's fist came about, knocking the wits and thoughts from Neji's mind. Straddling his chest, Naruto's fists moved like a jackhammer, beating into Neji's face.

With rage flowing through his body, Naruto's fists crushed his nose, split his lips and bruised both eyes. Naruto continued punching as the crowd fell silent. Once Neji looked like an over-ripened, bleeding tomato, he reached behind the Hyuuga's head and unstrapped his hitai-ate. Beneath it, revealed a green seal that looked both terrifying and intriguing at the same time. But maybe, if Naruto was an idiot, Neji might have indulged him with a story. But the fight was over. Rising from the unconscious genin, Naruto raised the glimmering, black-strap hitai-ate proudly, bringing forth the roars and rumble of a satisfied crowd.

"Lose the attitude…" Naruto sighed softly as he dropped the hitai-ate. "We could be great friends you know…just…drop the shit about fate. Fate exists, but it's the struggle that matters…not the outcome, not the result. Fate isn't set, it isn't finite; it's infinite with infinite possibilities and outcomes, nothing is set in stone…I may not know much about who you really are and your past or your reasons for believing in such a pretentious way of life…but just know…you can change your fate…you can change your destiny…all that matters is if you don't stop fighting…"

Naruto flashed a smile to his friends in the crowds and the competitor's box. Taking deep breaths, he relished in the cheers and screams coming from his newest fans. But just as medic shinobi lifted Neji and placed him onto a stretcher, his legs finally gave out. Feeling like a ton of lead, his arms and legs hung slack and weak.

Wanting nothing more than to sleep after declared the winner, he fell back with a beaming smile on his face.

"What a fight…" Ahri whispered to herself, watching the medic ninja pick Naruto up from the dirt, from within. "I can only imagine what will happen when he fights that Gaara character…you just make me mad Naruto…"

"I want to help you and give you my chakra…" Ahri sighed, resting her back against the metal walls surrounding her in her cell. "I find it cute really…but…Naruto…"

Don't you trust me?

* * *

 **You know what makes me mad?  
** **Ahri literally has soooo few lines in League :(  
my plan is to end chapters with one of her quotes but  
clearly there is only so much I can work with**

 **le sigh**

 **Anyway! Please! Review guys! I've been eating up your  
suggestions and critiques!**

 **A reviewer was confused by Naruto speaking Korean; the only two words he uses, he was told the definition. Seonsaeng and Noona. Serious. lol when there's a lot of korean being used, Ahri is the one speaking**

 **Another reviewer was wondering about the relationship between Ahri and Naruto; no, Naruto isn't seeing her as his beloved teacher; more like a necessity that happens to have a great personality. And by personality I mean rack. LOL I'm kidding.  
** **The way I see it, it's more of a mutual respect for one another since they're learning more about each other and abilities.**

 **Either way! Next chapter will feature another fight! Cool, Cool eh?**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	4. A Tanuki and A Gumiho

**Hey, another chapter!**

 **So I just wanted to say that the Chunin Exams will follow canon  
The difference is that certain things will happen at a different time  
or  
happen a different way**

 **I had some trouble writing this chapter not gonna lie**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: A Tanuki and A Gumiho**

Naruto leaned against the railing, watching the fight with a soft laugh escaping his lips. The sound mummy ninja was definitely out of his league. Facing off against Shikamaru needed a certain tact, a way of thinking, a mindset even, if victory is the goal. If someone wanted to get their ass kicked with maximum or even minimal effort, acting the way the fur-back was acting is the surefire way to go. Shikamaru while being a lazy good for nothing bastard almost ninety-percent of the time, his mind and his strategical genius was unrivaled except by his father, the clan head of the Nara.

Naruto took a moment to think of the Return of the Mummy's name. It didn't sit well with him to not know the name of the guy, after all, a name is needed for the epitaph. He snickered to himself. There was no way in hell Shikamaru was going to throw all of this away for the sheer sake of watching clouds or taking naps. Maybe, the blond was overestimating his friend's fear of Ino and his own mother. That was not to say that Shikamaru would fight with an ounce of seriousness in his actions. Ever since the end of the preliminaries he'd complained and whined about the prospect of fighting two opponents consecutively.

Now that the Uzumaki thought about it, the whole calculation behind setting up that fight algorithm was strange. Of all the poor bastards that had to fight two in a row, it had to be the laziest person he'd ever met, Naruto was going to make sure the Nara would never live it down. Bringing his mind back to the fight, the boy with a bandage fetish rushed at Shikamaru, digging his metal arm into the dirt creating a small pocket of space for the Nara to take advantage.

Taking a kunai, Shikamaru kicked the cyclops knocking his hitai-ate from his head. Dosu struggled to stay steady and rip his arm free from the dirt that held him in a prison. To make sure the sound shinobi couldn't make another move, within seconds of his previous assault, Shikamaru sliced the bandages from the shinobi revealing burn marks and cuts across his face. Naruto was caught aback and how docile the shinobi became the instant the bandages were removed. Dosu bowed his head in defeat with rage in his eyes. Genma appeared, raising a red flag signifying the end of the fight. It was rather anti-climactic in Naruto's eyes. The crowds roared out praise for the Nara heir but Naruto could barely fight back the laugh growing within his stomach. His blue eyes trailed over to the fiery sister to the redhead Gaara.

Temari. Naruto said her name in a mere whisper to himself. The instant her name was called by Genma, she hopped over the edge of the railing with an already victorious smirk spread across her face. Despite being a genin, she was as graceful as a chunin. Naruto took a moment to gauge her powers, thinking back on what he knew. She was smart and powerful, and she knew it. She was very proficient with wind techniques and the fan of hers accentuated that trait. Naruto frowned thinking about Shikamaru's mental state; the boy was probably annoyed and exhausted.

 _No._ Naruto frowned, narrowing his eyes at the Nara. _The little bastard might try to surrender._

"Oh you know how the Nara are." Ahri cackled. "I'd be surprised if he even tries this round."

 _So would I._ The boy snickered to the Gumiho. _But hey, I'm open to surprises._

"After all, you surprised most, if not all, of your generation." She smirked. "But…I don't know. A Nara actually not wanting to take a nap?"

 _Be careful, Ahri._ Naruto warned with a wary eye. _Saying such heresy could bring destruction to the village! If I actually get the chance to fight Shikamaru, I promise you, the village will go up in flames._

"Aw." Ahri bellowed with laughter. "The amount of confidence you have for your _dear friend_ is severely low."

 _Only because I know him so well._ Naruto rolled his eyes. _Seriously…if Shikamaru wants to fight me, then the next thing you know, women will start thinking I'm a stud._

"Oh?" The fox raised a brow, flashing the Uzumaki a provocative smile. "Who says you already aren't?"

 _Oh no. Not this again!_ Naruto felt sweat growing on his brow. _The last time you did something along the lines of this, we were in the Hot Springs…and…_

"Don't lie to me. You liked it. Not many humans, if any, have had the pleasure of seeing me... _naked_." Ahri crossed her arms over her buxom chest. "You must be a liar or gay to not like what you – oh…you are, aren't you?"

 _I'm not!_ Naruto glared. _And for your information, I did like what I saw…I'm just…more…oh who am I kidding._

Ahri's cheeks grew a slight tinge of pink. "You're adorable when you get flustered. I'm going to have fun corrupting you."

 _Corrupting?!_ Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. _A-Ahri! Remember! This is a professional agreement between the two of us!_

"Look at you, throwing big words around." The fox giggled. "You demanded professionalism but did you ever hear me agree?"

 _No loopholes!_ Naruto shouted, turning his eyes away from the vulpine seductress. _P-Please, Ahri…when you do the things that you do…it gets really hard to concentrate._

"Concentration won't be the only thing that'll be hard." Ahri licked her lips.

Naruto glared at her with a deadpanned mirth. Ahri returned with a playful pinkish tinge in her eyes. They were silent for almost twenty minutes, staring into one another's eyes.

 _I hate you._

"You're just no fun."

 _I know how to have a lot of fun; you on the other hand, just have a sick sense of humor._

Ahri stared at him once again, almost as if he'd silenced her for good. "Huh…well you're goddamn right about that."

 _Hey Ahri…_ Naruto suddenly said after a few minutes of silence. _Remember the fuinjutsu you were teaching me?_

"Yes?" Ahri asked with a raised brow. "What of it?"

Naruto placed a hand behind his head. _Just…exactly how powerful is fuinjutsu…?_

"Powerful enough to seal a rampaging demon within a baby boy." Ahri replied. "Great enough to warp time-space; err…teleport. Close distances, the list can go on and on, Naruto. Fuinjutsu is a powerful and difficult style of shinobi abilities that honestly has little to no uses for most beyond sealing things into scrolls."

 _With all of this sealing…is it possible to seal someone's chakra within them or seal it into yourself?_ Naruto asked. _You know…negate their ability to control chakra._

"Your big brain is beginning to worry me." Ahri said with a blank expression. "Who are you and what have you done with my adorable Byeong-shin?"

 _Ahri._ Naruto tried to hold his laugh. _I'm serious though…is it possible?_

The Gumiho stayed silent looking at the blond boy's serious expression. She wanted to tell him more, but she felt he'd lose concentration on the fights to come. Memories of Kushina's Kongō Fūsa rushed into her mind filling the fox with a mixture of rage and contempt. "Yes. It is. I might even help you with what I know. But for now…watch the fights. You need to build up knowledge on every competitor."

Having received the answers he hoped for, he brought his eyes to the fight below. Shikamaru did a few backflips, dodging blasts of wind and even a few slicing gusts. Naruto watched him carefully, doing his best to ignore the fox within his gut. He fell to another stance, waiting for the blonde woman to make the next move. Shikamaru was clearly on the defensive, in other words; not his forte. Naruto held onto the railing, teeth grinding in excitement. Suddenly, just as Temari reared for another attack, she froze mid-step with her fan still in her hands. Shikamaru managed to catch her in his shadow possession!

Eyes trailed about, taking in the sight of the various holes and burning patches of land. Shadows were everywhere. Sure thanks to Temari's wind techniques, a few of the fires were put out, but it wasn't enough. Along the arena floor, there were great holes, remnants of Shino and cat suit's fight. Never had Naruto been so disgusted with a fellow comrade until that fight. Never had the blond seen bugs that large or with that many clawed legs. Their faces were non-existent, unless giant rotating teeth count as faces. It looked like a slug mixed with a child's acid trip nightmare; either way, it was in the past and Naruto knew he could never look at Shino the same again.

But from the holes those burrowing freak-shows created, Shikamaru took advantage. Good thing the proctors don't use Earth techniques to clean up the arena floor. If they did, Shikamaru would be at a severe disadvantage and he might have had to delay and drag out the fight even further. Naruto's eyes trailed up to the sun and to the shadows hugging the base of the arena floor. While the shadows haven't touched Shikamaru yet, he would have waited at most, another five minutes before the shadows were favorable. Temari knew his techniques, judging by how she was careful in the beginning to keep him away from the shadows and towards the light of the fires.

But Shino's bugs had burrowed all over the place during the bug man's fight against cat suit. While that was almost an hour ago, the effects were definitely affecting this fight in more ways than one. Poor Temari overestimated the amount of light that fire emits. From light, there will always be shadow. Temari dropped her fan, following Shikamaru's actions. Everyone watched with wide eyes as the Nara made the woman unclip her kunai pouch and draw out a knife.

 _Huh…_ Naruto tilted his head slightly. _That's interesting._ _So how much do you want to bet that Shika will surrender?_

"Wow. You really don't trust him to stay in the fight!" Ahri fell to the floor laughing her lungs out. "Uhm…okay…what are you offering?"

 _Damn…_ Naruto took a moment to think. _If I win…I get to eat ramen again._

"If you lose, you have to get rid of the orange." Ahri quickly replied.

The boy paled at how quickly she responded. _U-Uhm…but…_

"Or would you rather do chakra control exercises for a week straight?" Ahri smiled

 _Easy!_

"Without sleep and food." Ahri smiled.

 _Oh that's just cruel._ The boy bawled.

"Don't you dare surrender!" Naruto could hear Ino roaring over the silent crowd. "I swear to every god I will beat your ass if you do!"

In the arena, Shikamaru's demeanor changed. Judging by the seriousness in Ino's voice and the fear on his face, the Nara might actually stay and continue this fight. Naruto clenched his teeth, knowing that if he lost, he'd might as well kiss his venerated orange jumpsuit goodbye now.

"Sorry Temari." Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes. "She scares me as much as my mom does…now do us both a favor and surrender."

"Like hell I will." Temari glared at the Nara.

Shika sighed once more. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

Suddenly, he brought the kunai to his jugular. The kunoichi followed suit putting her kunai to her throat. Sweat began to pour down her brow, especially at the cheeky expression on the Nara's face. Up in the competitor's box, Naruto slammed his forehead against the railing holding in his broken heart. All the while, his life was rocked with the dulcet tunes of Ahri's incessant, but with actual reason this time, laughter. Back to the fight below, he gave her one more look, almost mentally asking her to surrender. When she responded with a scowl it only solidified his victory.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…"

Suddenly, the Nara pressed his kunai against his throat. Across the way, Temari followed suit with her blood running cold. She watched him, terrified of his tactic. He was this interested, so intent on winning that he would try to kill himself? Even in the beginning he acted like he could give any less of a damn, what changed?! She saw the red trickle trailing down his kunai. She herself could feel the blood rush from her sliced skin, damn kunai and how sharp they are.

"Alright…" Temari struggled to hold herself back from following. "I SURRENDER!"

* * *

Naruto gave Shikamaru a strange look. "Why?"

"What?"

The Uzumaki wasn't convinced with his passive attitude towards his victory. "Don't avoid the question with another question."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shika flashed an aloof expression.

Naruto deflated, pressing his forehead against the railing. "I like that you used the fake kunai trick."

"Like hell I'd put a real kunai to my throat." Shikamaru drawled. "You must have me mistaken for someone else."

The pair snickered and turned their attention to the possible fight below. Gaara stood below after using his sand to vanish and reform in the arena floor. His eyes were planted on the Uzumaki making Naruto all the more interested in the redhead's ploy. There was something in those eyes of his that spoke with a burning fury and rage, rage directed at him nonetheless. The blond thought back to his deep threats at the hospital, how he spoke of fulfilling himself, making his life worth something. There was only one reason; Ahri. Naruto's hands wrapped around the railing of the box as he glared back.

"If Uchiha Sasuke does not arrive within the next five seconds, he will be disqualified." Genma called.

Naruto's eyes trailed over to the crowds to hear their whispers and words of doubt. He couldn't believe that Sasuke or Kakashi would intentionally be late. Especially if Kakashi purposely cast him aside to train Sasuke for the entire month. An entire month would have been wasted on talent if he can't show it off. Naruto clenched his teeth feeling the silence permeate throughout the arena and audience. Sasuke was supposed to be the main feature of Konohagakure in the chunin exams. Naruto looked over to the Nara beside him and was replied with a careless shrug.

Shino shrugged his shoulders as well. He frowned when the Aburame told him not even the insects he'd sent around couldn't sense the two shinobi. Naruto gritted his teeth. There was no way in any hell, any heaven or any dimension that Sasuke would pass up a chance to show off his power. It was what made Sasuke well…Sasuke. He was a cocky, arrogant bastard and hiding from a chunin exam just went against everything that made him, him. Something else must have been happening behind the scenes that either he didn't have clearance or importance to see.

"Alright." Genma called. "Uchiha Sasuke is now disqualified."

The crowds were groaning and Naruto could have sworn he heard Sakura bellow out a cry of despair. The rest of the Konoha Twelve frowned and sighed in defeat. Lee looked like he'd been hit with a ton of iron. Sasuke was disqualified from the one thing that everyone wanted to see. From the corner of his eye. There were various men and women worried and he even saw a few daimyo stand and leave the scene. Sure they didn't get their show, sure they didn't get what they wanted, but Naruto…he got the one thing he wished would never come to pass.

He fell to his knees, cold and almost numb even. His hands gripped to the railings almost as if he were holding for dear life. All the training, all the hard work he did could not prepare him for this. Even within his mind, Ahri understood what all of this meant. She tried to console him, but the Uzumaki wouldn't listen. She tried to hype him, preparing him, but he could not listen. He wasn't fast enough and sure as hell wasn't strong enough. He could try to outsmart him, but that defensive sphere he had was unstoppable, even by the fastest genin that he'd ever seen.

He hid himself behind the wall, trying to disappear. But he couldn't leave, he couldn't surrender before the fight had begun. He shivered knowing what was to come. Ahri never prepared him for this fight. Ahri, Jiraiya, hell even Asuma never prepared him for this fight.

"Now with the disqualification of Uchiha Sasuke, we will have no choice but to push up the fights." Genma called. "Uzumaki Naruto. Please come down."

Color disappeared from Naruto's face, along with the rest of the Konoha Twelve. Lee especially. Naruto could feel their stares and their sympathetic looks. Taking a few deep breaths, all the while listening to the raving Gumiho within him, he rose to his feet. He ran a nervous hand through his blond hair, catching a few of the shinobi and kunoichi already impressed with his abilities, off guard. Those who witnessed the redhead's brutality during the preliminaries were beyond impressed at this point. While the blond was terrified, almost shitless, he wouldn't dare show it. He beamed slightly showing off his pearly whites alleviating the heavy feeling reigning over the crowds.

It wasn't long for him to reach the arena floor. Like the fight he had with Neji, he just had to keep a level head and think his assault through. Gaara had a defense unlike anything Naruto had seen. If anything, the fight he had with Neji simply prepared him for this. The sand the redhead used acted on its own accord, much like the fox fire. Naruto immediately went over strategies and possible plans of attack. He took his time stepping along the field, relishing the waving grass against his sandaled feet. Genma was patient but given the dark shadowed glare the redhead was giving him, Gaara was clearly beginning to lose said patience. He stood before his fellow genin and once more fell into a haphazard stance.

"Gaara, are you ready?!" Genma called. He was responded with a simple grunt. "Alright. Naruto. Are you ready?!"

"Yes!"

And with that; the jōnin jumped back. Once he disappeared, Naruto knew it was the beginning of the end. Once the jōnin was gone, there was no way he could rely on their shield. Blue eyes trailed over to the seething ginger in front of him. Sand flowed from the massive gourd, slowly flowing to form a platform of sorts.

"Die, Uzumaki!"

The first tendril shot forward, grazing his cheek. Immediately, Naruto released all inhibitions and jumped back. As he dodged a few rushing tendrils, he channeled chakra throughout his tenketsu. With energy blowing off of his legs, arms and torso, he was ready to blast through the sand walls. Almost like a blink of an eye, Naruto vanished for a moment, only to reappear behind Gaara's defenses. He was met with disappointment; the sand was faster than the Spirit Rush. Sand began to wrap around his arm filling him with fear. It was the attack that caught Lee and disabled him. Naruto's blue eyes glared daggers into the redhead.

"Sand Coffin!"

Sand wrapped around the Uzumaki's entire arm as he struggled to fight back against the weight. Having never been the target of this attack, it almost felt as if Gaara's own hand was wrapped around his arm. It tightened suddenly. Even though he was caught, his bravado hadn't been shattered. He yelled obscenities and continued trying to rip himself from the wall of sand. He came to a sudden halt; judging by the series of cracks he'd just heard, he could assume that a few bones had shattered already. But thankfully, the sand numbed and cut off blood circulation to his encased arm. In a last ditch effort, he channeled chakra through his abdomen forming the three motes of flame that he'd practiced for. They launched out almost like seeker jutsu. From what he could see, Gaara was unaffected and let the sand defense take the hits.

"Sand Burial!"

 _Oh fuck._

* * *

Shikamaru watched, gripping the railing. Every competitor had seen firsthand what the Sand Burial/Sand Coffin combination can do to a man. The Nara gritted his teeth, worried for his blond friend. After all the training he'd gone through and witnessed, there was no way that the Uzumaki could lose already. Naruto continued fighting down there, doing his best to pull his arm free from the entrapping sand. The blond was yelling and desperate even. He kicked slithering sand tendrils trying to grab his legs and Naruto even tried to knife his way out of the sand wall.

While Shika was worried, he was also confused and surprised once more. The fact the boy vanished and reappeared just as quickly sent shivers up and down his spine. Just what exactly did the idiot learn during the last month?! Suddenly, Naruto began to shout, screaming as the sand noticeably tightened. He was stuck like an entrapped boar. Flashbacks of Lee's decimation was more than enough to frighten the Nara. Gaara yelled once more channeling chakra into the sand.

"Not today!" Naruto cried valiantly.

Just like all surprises, Naruto always made them noticeable. Three giant motes of fire were born, orbiting him without touching the sand wall. Men and women jumped at what they saw; even some of the jōnin were terrified. Trailing his eyes over, the sight of a few ANBU coming to the scene gave the Nara more questions than answers. But as the orbiting fireballs began to spin, they shot into the air at almost lightning speed before arcing and returning down to the redhead below. While such an attack might work on others, this redhead had some sort of secret weapon under his sleeve. As the motes of fire grew close, great tendrils of sand shot up, absorbing the flames.

Judging by Naruto's hunched back, the blond had already lost the fight within him. Shikamaru's heart raced. He gritted his teeth shooting his head up to the Kage box, finding his own leader, the beloved Hokage, watching in earnest, even taking a few laughs and smoking instead of doing something to stop the fight before Naruto was brutally killed! He scowled. Killing was allowed in the third stage of the exams. Of course the Kage would do nothing to end a fight as exciting as this. Sand slowly surrounded the blond up to his neck.

"Sand Burial!"

Shikamaru winced when the sand crunched. After the first bone crush, Naruto would have dispelled if he was a clone. Neji's palm attacks were strong, but they did more chakra damage rather than physical damage. He assumed that was the reason Naruto's clones lasted longer after being hit. But now, if it was a clone, the clones arm was crushed first…he should have dispelled. He was supposed to dispel. Shika clenched his fists; he's supposed to dispel!

Across the arena, men and women were silent. Sakura's eyes were as wide as plates with her face almost devoid of color. Ino fared no better and Choji had even dropped his chips. The competitors were silent, even Gaara's own siblings. Naruto was dead? Naruto was defeated? Naruto…

"Nice try!" A voice echoed above.

Men, women, children and shinobi alike shot to their feet, bringing their hands to their eyes trying to adjust to the burning light of the sun. Gaara, while his face didn't betray the indifference, his heart was racing, surprised at the Uzumaki's tenacity for the underhand and tricking his opponents. Surrounding him, a great burning halo. Upon closer inspection, it almost looked as if Naruto was levitating. How he did so without catching the attention of the Kage or shinobi more experienced than him was beyond the Nara. Thinking back to his previous attacks, Shikamaru's fear and worry dissipated and was replaced with a great relief.

 _He's making the motes spin so fast that they generate their own wind and it's keeping him levitated._ Shikamaru eyed the blond watching the fight from the air. _How did…huh. What is that in the sand…?_

In the aftermath of Gaara's sand burial, a kunai was glinting softly as Gaara brought sand over to shade his eyes from the burning rays of the sun. Piecing two and two together, Shika facepalmed at his naivety. _In the chaos of the first tendril attacks, Naruto must have thrown that kunai into the air in preparation for this. He knew this would happen._

 _But why use…oh you sly bastard._

* * *

"Let's have some real fun!" Naruto roared over the howling crowds.

From what Gaara could see, the Uzumaki began to descend. Throwing more sand to defend his head, Gaara did not take into consideration the kunai hidden within his sand. Naruto was closing distance similar to how he rushed at Neji's Kaiten. Channeling chakra to the floating motes orbiting the Orb of Deception, he created the spiraling ball of destruction, as he dubbed it, and channeled both wind and fire chakra into his rotation. As the wind mixed with the great fire halo surrounding him, he created a trailing inferno behind him that spiraled around his speeding form like a bullet in rotation.

" **Kai**!"

Gaara's eyes bugged. "What-?!"

A great explosion destroyed his wall of sand, sending the granules in every direction leaving the redhead free for attack. Naruto's spiraling bullet technique only picked up speed and power. Just as he hoped, Naruto rammed his spiraling ball of doom into the redhead's chest, breaking the first line of defense. Not intending to kill him or rile the demon within the Suna shinobi, Naruto dispelled the technique creating a great buffer cloud of chakra and wind between the two of them. Unlike what it might seem, he was not being merciful; in fact he was trying to end this as quickly as possible without awaking the demon within.

Before Gaara could have a chance to retaliate, Naruto rammed his fist into the redhead's gut, breaking his control over the incoming sand tendril. With Gaara's guard down, he channeled chakra into his arms, launching his fists at near lightning speed. Each punch resonated, echoing within the various boxes watching the fight. He counted in his head; he landed almost two punches every second. Gaara grunted and the sand pulsated with each landed attack. Like Naruto had assumed, the shinobi relied exclusively on his sand to operate at full capacity. With each chakra enhanced punch and strike, the sand withered along with the redhead's strength.

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed the redhead already gearing for a counter attack. Without thinking, Naruto's leg shot forward with an explosive roundhouse kick. Gaara flew back before being caught in his trusty sand. The boy wiped the dirt from his lip and patted down his clothing, unimpressed with Naruto's assault. While the redhead did his best to hide it, Naruto's attack did more damage than what he'd like to let on. Cracks had formed on his cheeks and small particles of sand chipped slowly.

"This ends now."

Naruto cursed himself when a tendril wrapped around his ankle as he geared for another assault. If the Suna shinobi's expression was anything to judge, Gaara was infuriated. Suddenly, the blond found himself swung into the dirt, cracking the thick topsoil and even finding the sand digging him into the land. With each impact, Naruto could feel bones cracking and maybe a few shattering. With a sigh, he had to amplify his plans and push a few steps forward.

Without a thought, he disappeared once more revealing a kunai laced with an explosive tag. Gaara growled and jumped back, trying to avoid getting more sand turned to dust. It was futile, the explosive tag was stronger than most and destroyed almost a gallon of sand much to Gaara's ire. Bringing his arms up, sand tendrils rose almost like an octopus, surrounding and dancing around him in another form of defense. The trees rustled slightly in the distance bringing Gaara's attention. From the trees, the redhead got exactly what he expected out of the blond now.

 _He's using shuriken instead._ Gaara watched from behind his wall of tendrils and sand. _The idiot must have run out of kunai._

Shuriken were caught and blocked, surrounding the redhead in what looked like an arsenal belonging to at least an entire regiment of shinobi. How the Uzumaki carried around that many shuriken was beyond anyone in the crowds. But the more Gaara pondered and blocked the attacks the less he paid attention. He didn't notice the sheer amount of shuriken was beginning to wither his tendrils and defenses. No matter how much control over sand he had, sand was like snow and crumbled under pressure no matter how solid it may seem. The more the blond and his shadow clones threw, the more the tendrils were eaten away.

From the corner of his eye, he caught a small flash of light heading his way. His first instinct was to send a tendril to block the incoming bogey, but when he finally took the time to look at his defense, the shuriken had weighed down and weakened his solid tendrils having chipped away enough to render them useless. But just as the kunai passed his face by mere centimeters, Gaara could have sworn he could feel the steel slice across his sand armor. With eyes planted on the kunai, he didn't notice the second coming right behind it.

In almost slow motion, Gaara watched the first kunai explode into smoke to reveal Naruto holding his own kunai, laced with an explosive tag. A roar echoed from within his stomach, showing that the damned tailed beast within him was paying attention. He whipped his head over to his right to see the second kunai coming in, also laced with an explosive tag. Gaara's eyes shot from his head and for more than a few moments, he froze. The sand wasn't responding and Shukaku wasn't helping enough. With little to no choices remaining, Gaara somersaulted forward, surprising Naruto and even his own siblings. The redhead rolled about, creating a large pocket of distance between the two of them.

In the split second decision that Gaara made to evade, Naruto grabbed the second kunai just in time. "I didn't think you could do that with that huge-ass gourd on your back. Impressive."

Gaara didn't respond, only glaring with his eyebrow devoid forehead. Sand slipped free of the shuriken weighing it down and began to flow steadily at the redhead. Naruto gritted his teeth and hurled both kunai at the flowing sand just before it could fully encase the genin. Gaara glared sending a small tendril powerful enough to send the already burning paper bombs back towards their owner. Naruto scowled, jumping back and speeding through hand seals.

 **"Fuuton: Ryūsui!"**

Pointing his head down, the great blast of wind shot him into the air in a reversed arc. Channeling more energy into the trail of wind, he dodged incoming strikes and spikes of sand. What Gaara hoped would break his evasion, it only helped in a way. With each projectile interrupting his wind path, it only created a springboard of sorts propelling him further. Finally, cutting the chakra, he let physics do the rest. As he flew through the air, a pointed obelisk of sand shot up like bamboo, nearly impaling the Uzumaki. A split second decision was made and he quickly grabbed onto the pillar and shut his eyes examining the sand.

 _Ahri._ Naruto thought to himself. _What are the odds that I can rip the chakra from the sand and create another Orb of Deception, without having to strain my chakra reserves?_

"I'd give you a fifty-fifty-percent chance." Ahri responded doing her best to remain calm. "Kick his ass already. I'm beginning to lose my mind. All of that malicious chakra is **infuriating me!** "

As another tendril of sand snaked up the obelisk, Naruto took that as his cue to attack. Taking to the air once more, he hurled another flurry of kunai, expecting Gaara to simply catch them once again. Like he'd hoped, the boy relied too much on his sand to keep himself safe and didn't even move an inch. The kunai exploded like usual, giving off a beautiful lightshow of orange and red along with a few flashes of yellow. Like his fight with Neji, the crowds were enthralled with his performance, outsmarting perfect defenses and practically unstoppable opponents.

As the sand collapsed around Gaara, his arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes bore a look of indifference almost as if he wasn't impressed. Naruto shook his head, speeding through hand seals as he descended to the arena floor.

 **"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"**

Naruto growled viciously, realizing that it was to no avail. Gaara's sand was too numerous and too well under his control. He was running low on projectiles and options. Most of his strategies and steps involved usage of explosives, kunai and shuriken to wither the defense the genin relied so much on. To wither his defense was to wither Gaara's chances of withstanding a prolonged assault. That was what made Lee so successful at fighting the Suna genin in the beginning of the preliminaries. He was consistent and beat down the sand defense to the point that Gaara couldn't keep up. Lee's mistake; he underestimated the sand shinobi and his cunning tactics.

Like Lee, if Naruto hadn't witnessed the fight, he would have assumed that once the sand was destroyed and removed from the tendrils and Gaara's control, the sand would be rendered useless. Judging by how debilitated the redhead looked after his beat-down, Naruto would have been fooled to believe the sand techniques were a gimmick and Gaara wasn't as powerful as he made himself seem. But of course; Lee overestimated himself and paid the price for his carelessness. Naruto would not make the same mistake. Thankfully, with his training in wind chakra, he had a plan to turn the sand to aerial particles rather than solid granules. At least he could save his remaining kunai and explosive tags.

While he had a handful, it would not be enough to have another fight like the ones he's been having so far. They were cost effective but there was no way he could resupply during the fight. As far as cleaning went, kunai and shuriken were the only things removed from the battlefield; which made absolutely no sense to the Uzumaki. Either way, he was going to have to find a way to weaken the tendrils acting as first line of defense without exploding everything in his path. Drawing a kunai, Naruto fell to a stance garnering the attention of the redhead standing triumphantly.

"You still wish to fight?" Gaara asked with a glare. "While I won't drone on about destiny…you are going to lose this fight. Whether you want to or not…I will prove myself and my existence through **your blood!** "

* * *

Shikamaru watched as the tendrils of sand snapped back and forth, slicing and tearing through the blonds clothing. Naruto did his best to hide his pain but he couldn't hide the wince. He kicked and dodged each incoming strike but the attacks were as fast, if not faster than Lee when the bowl-cut activated the celestial gates. He tilted his head watching as Naruto paced away from the redhead. He sliced and jumped back. He kicked and jumped back. He'd dodge and punch and jump away. There were moments where Shikamaru thought he'd make a shadow clone and make an advance toward the redhead's flanks but Naruto continued to retreat.

The Nara followed the path the blond was taking. He was evading and purposely staying on the defensive. Why? Shikamaru couldn't see past the massive amount of sand the redhead was channeling. Stealing his eyes away from the fight for a few moments, he took in the sight of the borders and the base of the arena walls. Naruto's clones weren't there, unlike his fight with Neji. By now, clones and shuriken and kunai would have bombarded the sand shinobi relentlessly if they were. No, with the brains and the knowledge that Naruto had shown so far, he would be an idiot to use the same strategy against an opponent who witnessed everything beforehand.

Maybe the old Naruto would, but something within him changed. Be it his courage, his brain grew a few sizes or he was holding back all along, Shikamaru couldn't decipher. Dragging his sight along the battlefield, he noticed a few holes remaining from Shino's fight against Kankuro, the puppeteer sibling. But as far as Shikamaru could see, there were only two holes and neither of them were anywhere close to Naruto. Gaara's sand was all consuming and practically held Naruto in a chokehold. Judging by how quick Naruto reacts and evades, the boy came to the same conclusion that even the slightest bit of pressure on the sand could activate some sort of automated attack and trap him.

Naruto roared, gaining the Nara's attention. The Uzumaki sped through hand seals once again, channeling chakra for another assault. Like every other time, fire exploded forth only to be blocked by a thick wall of sand. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the fight, watching the blond's movements. As the fire radiated, pulsating off the great wall of sand, Shikamaru lost all visual of the blond. As far as he knew, the fire continuing was a good sign; it meant Naruto was still channeling his chakra. Suddenly, just as Gaara closed enough distance, two pops of smoke appeared well behind the redhead, free from the sand shinobi's sand.

Thankfully, as Shikamaru assumed, in Gaara' wake, despite using the sand almost exclusively, there was little to no sand in his wake. That left patches of solid earth for the clones to traverse without tipping off the redhead of his plan. Both clones charged for the redhead's back as he continued his advance at Naruto. But just before they could reach their destination, two tendrils sprang from the sand wall and impaled both clones, rendering the assault just as useless as everything else. Shikamaru grunted, sighing in despair; there was practically no way around the defense unless one were to go as fast as Lee did, or whither the defense as much as he did beforehand.

 _But he doesn't have an infinite amount of shuriken and kunai._ Shika droned. _I can only wish you luck here, Naruto._

* * *

Naruto jumped back, dodging the great pillar of sand embedding into the dirt. He struggled to keep dodging, while the sand was automatic, it seemed to have a mind of its own. It was thinking and building information on his movements. Judging by how it's catching onto his attack and dodging patterns, it would only be a matter of time before the Uzumaki had run out of tricks. The sand was catching up, getting faster and aiming for places that both knew he couldn't get to in time. Thankfully, Ahri was his extra brain and she had better perception than most could ever wish for. Using her chakra, she'd pull his leg slightly in one direction or even move his entire torso towards a side, dodging a pillar or striking tendril just in time. His reaction time was slowing down as he grew tired of the automated sand.

In his eyes, this wasn't even chakra! As far as he knew, this could have just been a swarm of tiny machines. If they could have computers, what made robots so strange? Naruto fell back, dodging a great lunge of sand. Naruto smiled softly when he found what he was looking for. Speeding through hand seals once more, another great blast of fire escaped his lips, smashing against the sand wall. But in the midst of his repetitive attack, a shadow clone popped into existence next to him under the cover of fire. With the sand coming to a halt to protect Gaara, the clone jumped into the great burrowing hole Shino's fight had left behind.

Once the fire had completely escaped his lips, Naruto back-flipped throwing shuriken at the sand shinobi giving him a tantalizing piece of prey. He once again kicked and bashed the tendrils away, awaiting Gaara's mindless advance towards him. With the trees and the base of the arena walls to his back, he seemed to have locked himself into a corner with little to no options remaining. Gaara came closer, sand filling the area but thankfully, the hole Naruto had sent his clone into was left unattended. The sand simply slithered around it thinking the hole empty. _How convenient._

"Good. I hope you know your fuinjutsu as well as I know you do." Ahri sighed.

 _Me too…_

Naruto took a deep breath awaiting the inevitable. "Hey, Gaara. I have to warn you."

The shinobi continued on his advance with an uncaring expression. "What is it now, idiot?"

"With all of that sand…" The Uzumaki spoke cleverly. "Your peripherals must be complete shit. How do you even see with all of that sand in the way-?"

"Shut up, Uzumaki." Gaara roared. "You are out of places to run and you are out of tricks."

Naruto cackled loudly, freezing the redhead in his place. The crowds watched with wary eyes and even Shikamaru was confused as to what the Uzumaki was intending to do. Infuriating the opponent, especially one proven to be untouchable is a terrible strategy. But Naruto continued laughing. His laughter continued to flow and as long as the blond laughed, Gaara remained confused. Almost as if his brain had shut down from how ridiculous the idiot looked. The redhead snapped his head to the crowds confused and even shot the Kage the same look. In the stands, Shikamaru had to admit as for surprise effect, this had been his most effective. While his previous attacks had his opponents awestricken for a few good moments, five seconds at most, he had Gaara planted and visibly confused for almost six times that length. _What the fuck is Naruto doing?!_

"Alright!" Gaara roared, continuing his walk. "Enough!"

He continued his advance, sand building around them preparing for the ultimate sand coffin. Taking a great step over the hole, Shikamaru's jaw dropped with eyes twice as large. _Holy shit._

"Well sandy pants." Naruto said with a smirk. A few civilians and shinobi stifled their laughs at the poke. "I was distracting your dumbass!"

Suddenly, from the hole a shadow clone jumped free. In his hands a slip of paper was held, drawn with little inklings of characters. But upon closer inspection, this Naruto's jacket was unzipped revealing a chest covered in explosive tags. Naruto smiled when Gaara's face fell pale. Gaara's sand had avoided the hole, leaving Naruto's clone free reign to attack as he pleased. A good thing that Naruto managed to drop a clone in there before the real hostilities took place. It was too deep for Gaara to have true control over it. If the Suna shinobi was dumb enough to try to send sand down into the kilometer deep burrowing hole, Naruto shouldn't have anything to worry about.

"For the boss!" The clone roared before wrapping his arms around Gaara's gourd and body.

Gaara's sand defense fell slightly leaving a great opening for the Uzumaki to take advantage of. While the sand shinobi fought against the clone on his back, the real Naruto fell into a stance holding his hand forward with chakra channeling to his palm. Sand rushed up to the clone piggybacking on its owner but the concentration was broken, Gaara had little to no control over his only tool. The struggle ensued with a great portion of sand rushing over to the clone. Speaking of the clone; its legs wrapped around Gaara's waist and gourd, effectively locking him to his body. As they fought, Naruto's clone used his weight to force the shinobi away. With all the paper bombs stuck to his body, the damage would be severe to all of them if Naruto was too close.

 _Ahri…_ Naruto concentrated, feeling a burning sensation on his open palm. _Are you sure this fuinjutsu will work?!_

"I've forced knowledge of this technique into your ample little brain since it'll really help your dumbass." Ahri said, yawning. "I can never do that again…it takes too much chakra and spirit essence to do…be happy. I just gave you a cheat code. Ass."

 _Ahri._ Naruto growled. _You didn't answer my question._

"It'll **fucking work.** " She growled back. " **I stole this technique from someone almost twenty years ago.** "

 _But how are you so certain it'll work?_ Naruto asked with sweat dribbling down his brow.

" **Because it worked on me, you dolt!** " Ahri shouted, having returned to her violent fox-demon form. " **Don't give me that look…it'll be a story for another time…if I give enough fucks to remember. Now finish the fight already! I can't return to my regular form until I'm calm…URGH. I'm sorry Naruto…I can't control my anger when I'm like this…** "

He gave the giant raging fox within his mindscape a look of sympathy. Forcing his chakra to his palm, the burning sensation turned into a red hot inferno upon his flesh, knocking him from his thoughts. As the clone and Gaara reached the center of the arena, the clone's chest began to glow. Naruto concentrated on the clones glowing explosive tags, prepared to take the shinobi down. With panic and fear running rampant, Gaara roared, screamed and fought with all of his strength, but the clone would not let go. In the stands and boxes, the civilians and witnesses were screaming and shouting in excitement and worry. A few mothers covered their children's eyes and shinobi shifted in their seats prepared for the shower of blood and guts.

 **"Kai!"**

* * *

In the wake of the explosion, chakra radiated off of Naruto in waves. It flowed around him like a blue luminescent steam. He glowed with his palm burning as the centerpiece. People roared, shaking the arena in their stomps. Smoke began to clear revealing Gaara's backside instead of the angry face he'd become accustomed to seeing. The gourd had disappeared, obliterated beyond comprehension. His clothes were ripped open with burning threats and strings waving in the powerful gusts of wind. But what really caught Naruto's attention was what lied beneath it all.

Like the cracks on Gaara's face, there were cracks on his pale back. Sand withered away, blowing in the wind like dust. But Gaara was silent. He wasn't screaming or howling in pain. His spine was revealed, shattered and a few vertebrae turned to dust, with muscles and lacerated flesh burned and spilling blood now that there was skin to hold it back. How Gaara was still alive and well made Naruto's skin crawl. Slowly but surely, the remaining sand from the fight rushed up to Gaara's exposed skin and bone. He groaned softly, feeling himself lose control and consciousness. Rising to his feet, gasps and cries of surprise resonated from the stands.

Sand climbed and spread across his body. It rose, building together and hardening into a great clawed arm. Strange seals also took form and color, spreading from the fingertips to his sand-covered shoulder. The sand didn't stop there. Upon his back, the sand merged once more to create the great gourd that Naruto's shadow clone committed suicide to destroy. He was beginning to look like a monstrosity. But the sand didn't stop and continued crawling across his body but came to a halt to cover half of his face, turning his right eye into that of a demon with yellow pupils.

 _So the demon emerges._ Naruto narrowed his eyes at the Jinchuriki.

"I don't think so, Gaara." Naruto smiled.

Chakra exploded from his glowing body. Naruto was propelled forward with wisps and trails of steam-like chakra roaring off of his body. With speed unlike any the people had seen, he blew past the barely responsive tendrils of sand. Tendrils, tentacles and obelisks were turned back to sand as he shot past the constructs. He was too fast. A blink of an eye later, his fist had dug into Gaara's sand covered chest, eliciting the most pained screech either of them genin had ever heard in their lives. The sand tightened around his embedded forearm brining gritted teeth and a wince of pain.

The fuinjutsu met its mark though allowing the Uzumaki enough to have a sigh of relief. Gaara didn't know and simply stared at Naruto with color devoid eyes with his jaw slack. The two held each other steadily like statues. In the Kage box, Hiruzen watched with calculating eyes. The redhead was obviously more than the Kazekage had let on and Naruto's ferocity and willingness to go for kill shots really spoke to him on a deeper level. Up to the elbow, Naruto's arm was embedded into the sand armor that covered Gaara's small body. Judging by the latter's frozen and horrified statuesque facial expression, Naruto punctured something.

Suddenly, sand began to crumble away and fall to the ground. Crowds and shinobi were silent, their voices stolen from their lungs. The great sand claw arm shattered and fell to the ground to become a great pile of sand. Soon enough, Gaara remained. His spine revealed and skin flayed, revealing his defeat to everyone present. The difference this time, Naruto's open palm had blown through the boy's chest, almost as if he'd opened his palm after he forced his arm through his body.

"It's over…" Naruto groaned, pulling his arm free of Gaara's chest cavity.

The redhead fell to the ground, hunched over, but not dead yet. "M-My blood…"

"Pardon?" Naruto raised a brow.

"M-Mother…" His arms weakly rose to his disheveled red hair. "I-It's my blood!"

Temari and Kankuro's eyes widened and their skin paled catching Shikamaru's attention immediately. From the corner of his eyes, the two siblings had reached for their weapons and ninja tools. Without thinking, Shikamaru fell to his knees, throwing up a ram hand seal. His shadow shot forward, catching Shino off guard. Kankuro and Temari were frozen where they stood. If their expression were of any merit, Shikamaru would have assumed something else was afoot. He held them straight, making sure that not a single step was made.

"Mother!" Gaara cried out suddenly. "Mother where are you?!"

The redhead struggled to his feet, feeling a slower regeneration rate of his wounds. But before he could make it any further, he collapsed to his knees spitting up blood. "M-Mother!"

"Gaara!" Temari cried. "Stop moving!"

Kankuro struggled against the shadow possession. "Gaara!"

The redhead continued fighting his defeat. "I will kill you Uzumaki! When Mother returns…when Mother awakes…"

Naruto backed away, sheathing his final kunai. "Good luck with that…"

"Stop walking away from me, Uzumaki!" Gaara howled. Before he could make another statement, he fell to his chest, blood already beginning to pool around him. " **SAND COFFIN!** "

Naruto continued walking away. The sands simply blew in the wind instead of complying with his commands. Gaara struggled, throwing his hand up fully intent on ensnaring his opponent but like before, the winds were the granules master. His eyes were wide as the hole in his chest began to close. With skin as cold as ice, the sweat he felt was as warm as fire. He began to drag himself through the slick grass and blood, roaring at the blond victor.

"Wow…" Ahri popped her neck. "It's damn good to be back to my normal form…"

 _Good thinking on the seal._ Naruto smiled. _A shame that I had to cripple him like that though._

"He'll be fine." The Gumiho smiled. "Even though the demon's chakra and his own are sealed for now, the healing effects are still available."

 _So he won't be a problem?_ The Uzumaki asked hopefully.

"Don't get your hopes up, Dong-Saeng." Ahri adopted a thinking pose. "The seal is imperfect and will break if enough chakra blows through it like a battering ram. I give him at least a day or two before the seal breaks on its own. But to be safe…head up to the Kage box and tell them everything."

 _So you're telling me…_ Naruto paled. _I used up everything I had on that guy but he'll be kicking and screaming within a day or two…but that's without me kicking his ass?_

"Pretty much." Ahri frowned. "The more strain and stress the seal is exposed to…the weaker it becomes. Remember, you're not a fuinjutsu master. This was also the first time you've put this technique to use."

 _About that…_ Naruto smirked. _Think you could smash another technique into my brain again? Maybe?_

"No." The Gumiho deadpanned. "Unless you want me to permanently stay as a giant lumbering demon fox, then sure. Why not?"

 _Okay…_ Naruto deflated. _Forget I asked then._

"Don't worry, Dong-Saeng." Ahri placed a hand on his fallen shoulders. "Eventually you'll be able to effectively use fuinjutsu in conjunction with your new repertoire of attacks. I mean…it is in your blood to do so."

 _What-?_

"Uzumaki Naruto…" Genma's voice appeared. "Is the victor!"

* * *

 **So yeah.  
** **next chapter will have a fight I will honestly have so much fun writing**

 **Please guys! Drop more reviews! Those really help me a lot!  
I really want to know more about what you all think about this**

 **Either way**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	5. Coincidence?

**hey, I've returned with yet another chapter!**

 **I hope it isn't too boring for y'all :(  
To me, I had a lot of trouble writing this damn chapter  
**

 **Either way, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Coincidence?**

Shikamaru had never seen such a delirious shinobi in his life. Gaara roared and screamed, doing his best to fight against the medic ninja. They were simply trying to pick him up and place him onto a stretcher. His roars and howls sent cold shivers up and down his spine. The redhead was intent on murdering his blond friend and for what? There was animosity right from the get-go. Putting the fire between the two shinobi aside, Shikamaru still had questions that were in dire need of answers. For a lazy guy, he was willing to go to great lengths to get information; else he would lose his mind in all sorts of ways forcing him out of his laziness nonetheless. Heaving a sigh, judging by Naruto's blank and expressionless face, the fights were going to continue.

Suddenly, a loud pop was heard, earning gasps and shouts of surprise. In the arena, a great plume of smoke had appeared as white as the clouds above. The Hokage sighed, bringing his palm to his face with a groan of disappointment. His black eyes trailed to the untimely pair that it most likely could have been. As the smoke cleared it came to reveal a jōnin standing with an orange book in his hands with a lazy pose as he leaned upon one leg. Beside him was a short boy bearing but a darker, noir, black color scheme. In a way it accentuated the boy's radiating power and in another way exemplified his avenger status. He was clever and felt beyond confident if his stature and stance was anything to merit. Sasuke looked ready to kill with that half-smirk drawn across his face.

Ahri blanched, confused as to whether she should cry from laughter or cry from how ridiculous the boy in the black onesie looked. Sasuke's hair had grown a more profound semblance to a duck's ass, bringing laughter from the dumbfounded fox. Her tails swished about, pulsating with her infectious laughter. She giggled when Sasuke's smile dropped. Ahri had to hand it to the kid, he wasn't labeled as a genius for nothing. The look of surprise in his eyes was only the icing on the cake. His stance and hands fell slack as he stood straight to face the already beat up Naruto. All around, Ahri relished in his growing realization of his tardiness. Fires raged and sand had covered much of the battlefield. Holes had ruined the flatland of the arena floor. But it was when everything finally clicked in the Uchiha's brain that threw Ahri overboard with her laughter.

"What happened?!" Sasuke growled. "Why is there sand?!"

"You've been disqualified, Sasuke." Genma frowned. "Kakashi…I expected better."

The Hatake blinked for a few seconds. "Hmm. Maybe helping that old woman _was_ a bad idea…"

Sasuke's eyes fell wide with his arms practically dead weight. His defeated expression sent shivers of delight throughout Ahri's body filling her with much needed content to use to bring herself out of her slump. Being forced into the fox form because of her uncontrollable anger was beginning to become one of the most physically and mentally debilitating abilities she had. Every time she entered the form, she could feel her sanity and inhibitions disappear. She couldn't control her emotions and whatever happened, well, happened. She needed to get a grip on her anger and her hatred, but the chakra within her and Naruto was just so powerful and malicious…the chakra just seemed so tantalizing. Sadly, with all the knowledge her master, who will remain unnamed for the sake of her container's well-being, the man couldn't teach her how to deal with Kurama's chakra.

He never explained how it was toxic and drove those strong enough to not die from radiation, mad with insanity. He also never explained how emotions were direct links to the chakra. She frowned placing her soft forehead against the great metal bars of her mindscape prison releasing a sigh akin to hurricane winds. Even after more than eighty years, she could barely control the intake, hell the creation of her coils and the sheer amount of chakra that Kurama had forced into her. To think, a demon would do such a thing to her and run away like a bitch. She struggled against the growing fox furs crawling from her spine to cover the rest of her body. It felt like crawling insects spreading filth and jittery sensations across her nerves and skin. Such a feeling was beyond what could be considered pleasant. She was uncomfortable, feeling the fur already released rub her clothing the wrong way. It was infuriating and extremely itchy.

However, now she had a theory on how to negate the effects long enough to forget her anger. Anger was an emotion with a polar opposite; happiness. As ridiculously simple as it was, it was a bit more complicated than she thought. At least there was something that always made her happy beyond comprehension. At least, genuinely happy. With a smirk, she called upon her jailer getting his attention. Appearing before her, the Uzumaki looked at the woman with worried eyes. After all, her voice was practically pleading. Naruto sped as close to the bars as he could without getting blasted back by chakra.

"What happened, Noona?" Naruto asked quickly.

Ahri threw her hands to her bosom. "I was wondering if my boobs looked too big in this-."

Heat rose to her cheeks when she felt his hands wrap around hers. Judging by the pink tinge on his cheeks, he was just as embarrassed. Something exploded within Ahri's body and soon enough, the fur began to flee, disappearing from her skin. A smile found its way onto her face when Naruto hadn't pulled his hands from hers. Naruto began to ramble, going on about perverts and how he _wasn't_ one, all the while with his hands pressed against hers. Poor idiot didn't realize his hands were pressing against her buxom chest. Ahri giggled menacingly feeling the fur recede to her tails. She found her answer and her jailor's weakness. There was no way someone couldn't realize their hands pressing against breasts as nice as hers (Those are her words, no one else has agreed).

Slowly and carefully, the Gumiho swiped her hands free from his pressure. He obviously didn't notice since his hands were only pressed harder. Her blush darkened and another laugh was threatening to escape her lungs. Ahri's smile grew as Naruto's eyes finally opened to reveal glimmering sapphire blue irides.

"Hey…" She whispered with a sultry tone, leaning towards the bars. "Dong-Saeng…look where your hands are."

He gave her a confused look before finally taking notice. If his eyelids widened any further, she was certain his eyes would have literally popped from his head. No longer were his cheeks pink, now they were radiating red, almost like boiling blood. He was frozen like a statue, hands pressed against her chest and barely a thought churning in that head of his. Almost like lightning though, his hands snapped to his body. Fluid like water, the Uzumaki spun on his feet turning his back to the cackling Gumiho. Judging by the bent elbows and hunched back, the poor boy was hiding _something_. The fox tilted her head all the while, biting her lip with a seductive pose.

"Byeong-shin." Ahri called, feeling her beaming smile split her face. "Get out of here…you have a fight coming."

Forcing himself from his mindscape, his cheeks burned slightly from this close encounter. He got enough from her at the Hot Springs, he most definitely didn't need her bothering him with her strange sense of humor during the fights. Naruto deadpanned, feeling the blush recede. It was strange how she'd always do something perverted or _seductive_ out of the blue, almost as if she was a sadistic tease. Oh who was he kidding; she **_is_** a sadistic tease. Naruto couldn't lie to himself; Ahri was a gorgeous woman. She was far more beautiful than most women he'd seen in his life, but there was no way in hell he'd try to get with her. _She's like what. Eighty something years old?_

"I'm actually thousands of years old." Ahri chimed, blowing on her nails with a knowing smirk on her face.

He face-palmed. He should have been more careful about what he said to himself. That woman could hear everything and anything he thought, whether he wanted her to or not. Whenever she didn't respond, it was more than likely that she chose to ignore or was asleep. Turning his thoughts to the mindscape, Ahri leaned against the wall, using her tails as a bed and pillow. Yup. Whenever he feels he has _free time_ to think, she's probably just asleep. Turning his thoughts to the arena once again; there were only three people remaining in the fights; Himself, Shino and Shikamaru. Now that Naruto thought about it, he fought the hardest opponents.

Deadpanning once more, Shino and Shikamaru already looked about ready to surrender leaving him to win due to technicality. The Uzumaki glared at his lazy friend and the scary bug friend. He would be damned if he won this tournament without another fight. He brought his right hand to his face, ready to wipe the sweat trickling down his brow. But before his hand could reach his skin, his eyes caught sight of the obscene amount of blood that slicked his forearm to the elbow. Flashes of putting his arm through Gaara's chest appeared in his thoughts, almost like a storm of electric shocks. He jolted, shooting his arm away from his face.

"Hey, Naruto." Genma called. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" The Uzumaki shook his head trying to rid the image of Gaara's frozen expression from his mind. "I'm just excited for the final fights."

The jōnin wasn't convinced but didn't pry. With a scoff the jōnin turned to the crowds prepared to call upon the next contender. "Genin."

* * *

Sakura was awestricken and heartbroken at the exclusion and disqualification of Sasuke, but watched in earnest, prepared to stick through the Exams and at least cheer on Naruto. After all, he is her teammate and Ino might start a scene if she didn't. Bringing her eyes to scan the crowds, shinobi and civilian alike were surprised, to say the least, about Naruto's actual combat and tactical knowhow. In fact, even Sakura was thrown in a loop, confused and frozen in _fear_ of Naruto's knowledge. Of course, she assumed Sasuke must have gotten better with Kakashi, but that didn't explain where Naruto got all of this power. _If having one on one training with a jōnin can create results like that…why haven't I been trained?_

Turning her eyes back to the orange clad blond in the center of the arena, she noticed something different about him. His demeanor changed and for a moment, she could have sworn his arm started twitching. She watched him carefully, examining the arm he used to plow through another genin. Not only that, her thoughts were understandably concentrated on his previous fight, wondering how Gaara survived the point blank suicide bomber shadow clone, and her mind was still reeling from seeing his arm punch through another human being. So many questions and not enough answers. Sakura interlocked her fingers as she examined the surprising blond who happened to never run out of tricks and surprises. Unbeknownst to the platinum blonde who had been screaming out Naruto and Shikamaru's names, Sakura spied the blond in the arena clutching his blood covered right arm.

 _What happened?_ Sakura wondered. _Does he need a medic?_

While Naruto showed no expression aside from content and peace, Sakura could see the pain in his eyes. Tilting her head slightly, her suspicions were right. The blood covered arm began to twitch and shake but thankfully, his left arm was doing its job at quelling much of the movement. For a moment, the Haruno felt herself worrying for her blond teammate for the first time since the preliminaries. Those eyes of his burned with fear and surprise, it was so obvious. Of course, with the fights he'd just done and completed; both opponents _should have_ won but somehow, the Uzumaki fought and won. The mental strain and the physical pain he must be feeling at this point, Sakura couldn't hope to comprehend. _He shot his arm through another genin for crying out loud! I'd be more terrified if he didn't feel anything after doing something like that…_

"Forehead." Ino called, pulling Sakura from her thoughts. "You lost or something?"

Sakura shook her head softly. "No…I'm just worried about Naruto…"

"Huh…" The blonde gave her pinkette friend a confused look. "Ain't that a first?"

The Haruno winced at the jab. Ino was damn right about that. How careless the girl had been up to this point, barely even acknowledging her teammate. "There's a first for everything."

Ino smirked softly before finally falling back into her seat. "Well…I wonder who's going to surrender first; Shino or Shikamaru."

* * *

 _Gaara stared at him with an empty expression that sent shivers up and down his spine. Such eyes that held a fire unlike any other…had been extinguished. The teal color had faded, degrading to a light grey. His jaw hung slack. Naruto could feel his final breath leaving his lungs. Instead of through his throat, the air escaped from the gaping hole he had created. Like a popped balloon, air rushed against his blood slicked forearm. He could feel the pressure beat against his bare skin. The orange sleeves were painted with blood but the bones and shredded flesh pushed his sleeve back._

 _Fearful and unready to face the genin, Naruto could hear the final sigh before death. They stood like that, frozen in time. His arm through another person's chest. He reasoned with himself, ignoring the ravings of the fox within; ignoring the screams and cries from the otherwise, silent crowd. He told himself it was okay, but such words helped as much as they would help the deaf. Warmth enclosed his arm as blood coursed through the lacerated veins and arteries. He wouldn't dare look at his victim. He wouldn't dare face the genin he'd sentenced to death._

 _Killing is allowed._

 _Killing is allowed._

 _Killing is –_

"Naruto!" Ahri's sweet yet equally worried voice tore through the jaded memory.

 _Ahri…_ Naruto whispered softly, hand clenching his shivering wrist.

"Snap out of it…" She said with a worried look. "Your arm is beginning to shake out of control…"

To his surprise; Ahri was right. He could barely contain the tremble. Shutting his eyes for just a moment caused a searing fire within his mind. He could see Gaara's face, his fear and his death. Sasuke's _death_ in wave was nothing like what he bore witness with Gaara. While Sasuke sacrificed himself to save someone, Gaara died because Naruto couldn't control himself. He had the Spirit Rush down to a tee, but he let himself go in the fight. He let himself go blank and let the fight handle itself. He acted the way he used to; he didn't think. He acted on impulse and if Gaara wasn't a Jinchuriki like himself, he would have given the entire village a true reason to think of him as a monster. Eyeing the quivering hand of his, he grabbed the fingers and forced them together, doing what little he could to quell the trauma.

 _Damn this…_

"Alright…" Genma called. "With the defeat of Sabaku no Gaara, it is time to move up the fights to the semi-finals."

The crowds roared in affirmation, excited for the next string of action. The three final shinobi remaining were all from Konohagakure, gaining a few disgruntled looks and uncomfortable seating shifts in those from Sunagakure. But even worse, the shinobi from Suna knew what form Gaara had taken. He was nearing release and the blond was about to spring their trap sooner than they thought. Fortunately or unfortunately, the boy managed to seal or somehow negate the redhead's ability to channel and mold chakra. He even managed to shut off Shukaku just in time bringing a few of the jōnin to rethink the invasion. But for now, all the mattered was sticking to the plan until the Kazekage decided to pull back.

"Aburame Shino, come down."

Shino took a deep breath before finally coming to the conclusion.

"Oh no." Shikamaru stared at the bug user with wide eyes. "You're going to, aren't you?!"

All heads turned to the competitor's box. Shino sighed softly. "Yes. I am. I am not suited for close quarters combat, I will lose no matter what I try. Proctor. I surrender."

Genma nodded in understanding and turned to the Nara sweating bullets. "Nara Shikamaru, you're not surrendering too, are you?"

"Shika!" Naruto yelled. "Don't you dare surrender! I didn't fight to the semi-finals just to win because you gave up!"

Judging by the frustrated sigh echoing from the competitor's box, through the stairwell and into the arena itself, Shikamaru was already beginning to regret winning his fight with Temari. Running a hand through his black pineapple styled hair, he groaned against the pressure the stares of the crowds had against his back. Eyeing his opponent with every thought churning out strategies; if this were the preliminaries Shikamaru would have approached this fight with a much calmer, laid back strategy. But after the month of training had passed, he'd seen firsthand Naruto's growth and even a few tricks he hadn't seen before being used in the previous fights. As far as momentary, short-term plans, he had to trap Naruto in his shadow possession and find a way to subdue him before he could use that strange flash-step attack he used on Gaara.

Examining Naruto's physical status, the blond had an arm covered entirely by the blood of his victim, who managed to heal from the attack leaving nothing, not even a scar. Images of the skin and flesh merging together sent more shivers up and down the Nara's spine. Pushing those thoughts to the deepest parts of his mind, he finally caught sight of the shuddering arm, struggling and trapped within his hand's interlaced fingers. Something happened shortly after the fight that must be messing with Naruto's mental state. While the twitching wasn't as bad as it was before he was called down to the arena, it was quite visible to those who knew what they were looking for. Eyeing the beads of sweat trickling like waterfalls against his temples, it was safe to assume that Naruto was beginning to lose his wits. The Uzumaki released his bloodied arm and shook the crimson hand about, successfully hiding the quivering mess with an attempt to _wake_ his hand up.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked with a raised brow.

The boy in question answered the way he knew he would. "Of course I am! Are you alright, though? It seems that nap you've been hoping for will come a lot sooner than you think!"

"I'll get my nap sooner or later anyway." Shika fell to a stance. "That part is non-negotiable."

"Alright you two!" Genma roared, gaining the resounding screams of the crowds. "Uzumaki Naruto! Are you ready?!"

"Yes!" Naruto shouted against the rumbling roar of the stands.

"Nara Shikamaru! Are you ready?!"

"Yes!" He glared at Naruto.

"Begin!"

* * *

 **"Kage Mane/Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**

"What?!"

Shikamaru held the rat hand seal, with a glare on his face. A smirk appeared making Naruto realize the Nara had a clever remark prepared.

"Nope." He laughed. "Not gonna happen this time, Naruto."

The blond was frozen in place by the great shadow that already trapped him in place. Struggling to fight against the vice-like grip the Nara held on him, Naruto cursed his stupidity. A few meters behind Shikamaru, a hole was found, hidden by debris, sand and fire. Directly behind Naruto, the other end of that hole was found, surrounded in sand from his previous fight with Gaara. Forcing his way to glare at Shikamaru, his hands fell from the cross hand seal and assumed a rat hand seal as his captor. For a moment, the Nara wanted to feel victorious but he knew this was just the beginning. Somewhere, there was a shadow clone waiting to strike.

"Hey…" Naruto laughed. "Try again."

Chakra exploded from every pore and tenketsu in and on his body. The shadow was torn away, receding just enough for the Uzumaki to escape. Taking it upon himself to make a series of backflips, Shikamaru smiled at the blond's actions. As he evaded, disappearing behind a mound of sand, the Nara was already working on step two of his strategy. He quickly hurled a handful of kunai towards the blond, expecting him to deflect each attack. Like he expected, and more, Naruto deflected a great deal of the projectiles but even grabbed a pair. The Uzumaki quickly slapped an explosive tag on the two kunai and sent them back to their owner.

 _I've never seen the shadow possession resisted like that…_ Shikamaru stared at the Uzumaki. _I need to watch myself and when I can, I need to ask father about this…_

Now, Shikamaru had a thought to consider a response like that, but of course, a part of him doubted the boy had the energy to do such a thing in the first place. Naruto had fought two of the projected, strongest genin most have seen in a long time. The Uzumaki used both tactics and skill, thinking steps ahead of his opponent and even used low leveled ninjutsu in conjunction to revamp the damage to levels substantially higher. Needless to say, Shikamaru expected him, even someone like Naruto, to be exhausted. At least close to exhaustion…if not, the Nara should seriously consider surrendering for the sake of not dying in a tournament. It was evident in the way Naruto fought now; even comrades like Neji were targets to get their asses beat with kill shots. He sprang to his feet, deflecting the explosive kunai and quickly displaced before he was turned into a steaming pile of flesh and blood.

A pair of explosions ripped through the terrain, spreading sand and smoke in all directions giving the Nara enough time to escape in the chaos. Around him, the Uzumaki was thinking along the same lines. Shikamaru was right though; Naruto was indeed getting tired; having used the Orb of Deception as much as he did and the _way_ he did, drove his chakra levels to dangerous lows. Channeling and forcing wind chakra to aid his spiraling bullets, also put a strain on his chakra but he won his fights at least. Now with Shikamaru, he had to admit, the Nara got it easy. Under the cover of great plumes of smoke, the Uzumaki began to wipe the blood from his arm, most of which had already dried into flakes. He sighed, running his arms against his clothes trying to remove the flakes as quickly as possible.

Shikamaru trusted Naruto with a lot, sure he never says it explicitly, but to him Naruto was a close friend and someone he would give his life for. Even with his faith in his friend, that trust had been shaken after the events of his fight with Gaara. It only seemed that as time progressed in these fights, Naruto would reveal an attack stronger than the last and this time, he almost killed another genin. What made it all worse, though, Gaara almost killed another genin as well! Shikamaru frowned, examining Naruto's movements beyond the resting smoke, relieved the Uzumaki had taken to the sand and flickering fires. Naruto in all respects, should have killed Gaara with an attack of that magnitude. If it were any other genin or shinobi, he or she would have been killed on the spot. Something else was afoot and he needed to get to the bottom of it. Turning his thoughts back to the fight, lucky him, the shadows he surrounded himself in captured a small team of shadow clones; almost seven in total.

He could hear people gasping in the crowds and the stands. Ino was surprisingly silent, making the Nara laugh to himself. Channeling chakra to the shadows, a series of spears launched from the great circle. Each clone popped and disappeared in a small cloud of smoke before dissipating. Naruto was definitely getting tired. Shikamaru stayed where he was, keeping to the hole behind him and the fires creating shadows for him to manipulate. All of this gave him precious time to think. His eyes trailed up to the rooftop of the stands, finding what looked like ANBU operatives standing watch. Across the way, Suna shinobi were in awe, almost uncomfortable and tense. Slowly, his eyes trailed up to the Kage box, finding the two Kage talking amongst themselves, discussing probable promotions at best guess.

Once more, a team of clones rushed at Shikamaru. This time, whenever one got caught in the shadow, another would come along and use the trapped clone as a springboard. With the shadows born of Naruto's fire attacks and the gaping hole remaining from Shino's bugs, Shikamaru was conserving chakra at a rate that left him rather fresh. Naruto on the other hand, was running in circles, sending attacks and prodded at the Nara's defense. It wasn't useless at all, but slightly annoying in the Nara's opinion. While the shadow possession captured human targets, it couldn't capture targets that were airborne. Every time a kunai would fly his way, he had little to no choice but to evade and escape the projectiles, the same went for clones that caught on to his weakness.

"Damn it." He chided. "Whoever thought it was a good idea to teach Naruto how to think, is an asshole."

He ducked, shooting his head forward, dodging a rock. "The biggest fucking asshole."

Rolling forward, he grabbed the embedded shuriken and kunai hidden the sand and responded in turn with his own assault. Drawing a kunai from the sand, he deflected a barrage a shuriken just in time. Before he had time to reposition, the damned Uzumaki rushed in like lightning, bringing his knee up. The collision was titanic. Shikamaru could have sworn he felt a few ribs break from the impact alone. As he flew back, Naruto fell into a stance and jabbed forward, forcing his fist into his lazy friend's chest. Again, Naruto launched his left hand forward digging his fist into the Nara's gut, knocking the air and the wits from his body.

But just as Naruto reared for another attack, he froze, blue eyes wide with sudden surprise. It was but a split second, but it was long enough for Shikamaru to notice. As he prepared to attack, Naruto's fist began to shake slightly, but otherwise, stayed stable. Shikamaru dodged the fist and sent his own, hitting Naruto with a punch that could have definitely been better. The hit barely registered to the blond and before Shika knew it, a knee found its way into his stomach. The Nara groaned against the counter attack, feeling his breakfast and dinner from the night before crawl up his throat. Naruto quickly grabbed his arm and twisted him around, shoving his foot into the fellow genin.

Instead of a roar or a cry of agonizing pain, the pineapple haired shinobi exploded into smoke. Crowds cried out in surprise, yelling at the show. Naruto glared shaking his right hand once more, feeling a cold sensation burn at his flesh. Strange, Naruto thought. Shutting his eyes for barely a second, Gaara's face flashed into his mind practically numbing his right arm on the spot. He dropped to the ground sensing a kunai and shuriken barrage heading his direction. Leave it to Shikamaru to decide when he wants to get serious. As projectiles flew above him, the Uzumaki sighed in relief, finding the new ammunition. Rolling in the sand, he threw his hand out, wrapping his fingers around the bandaged handles in preparation to retaliate.

Hidden by large hills of sand, the blond took this chance to finally surveil his target. _The kunai and shuriken came from the trees, but I sure as hell can't tell where. I want to use Shadow Clones, but I've already exceeded my planned amount of clones in this fight. I don't want to become reliant on those buggers especially with how practically unfair they are._

Suddenly, a great searing heat roared through his blood covered forearm. Doing his best to shake it off, the Uzumaki turned to face the many possible sites. Shikamaru was hiding in the trees and was using all of this to his advantage. Naruto was visibly down on chakra and energy and was already confirmed to be running dry of kunai and shuriken. He was frantic in search of more ammunition, if his desperate expression directed at kunai and shuriken was to be taken into consideration. To Shikamaru, every strange development in Naruto's actions was reasonable enough to become information to use. And given Naruto's last two performances, he'll need all the information he could gather from the Uzumaki.

Naruto dropped the kunai from his hand and immediately resigned to taking off old fashioned. Jumping over fires and piles of sand, he left little to the eye to see. Like a burning flash, or a yellow flash, the boy burst through the foliage of the first set of trees and shrubs lying at the base. Finding his search fruitless, he turned his attention to the next set, with a patch of trees and shrubbery in each quadrant of the arena floor. Despite the clones having dispelled during his last fight, he had the layout and image of each rock, nook and cranny burned into his mind. Shikamaru could hide all he wanted, in the end, Naruto was definitely going to find his lazy ass and beat him to a pulp.

* * *

In the stands, people watched in awe, still amazed at the show of skill these two shinobi possessed. But there was one that stared with a rather intense eye. Naruto was showing signs of weakness and he was beginning to lose his edge. The longer the fight drew out, the Uzumaki would more than likely pass out or even weaken himself to the point of no going back. Now that wouldn't bode too well with the plans in place. Taking in the fight from another perspective, the blond's situation looked just as bleak as before. He was conserving his chakra, if the lack of ninjutsu was an indication of any kind. He fumbled through the sand, digging for weapons and projectiles and while he managed to get a few, it still wasn't enough.

Naruto knew the layout of the arena judging by the shadow clones that he constantly used. Since the grand massacre of clones due to Shikamaru's great shadow possession, the blond deigned from making clones, even until now. His performances have been exquisite, and to Orochimaru, it was almost akin to a five-course dinner. Such untapped potential and raw, unadulterated power. Lucky for Naruto, plans were in place that required his victory. The man watched apprehensively as Naruto continued to shy away from using his ninjutsu combinations. As it was, the blond genin resigned to speed and heavy hitting; if he could even reach his opponent.

Even with the blond's newfound skills, his sensing and perception were still lacking. Shikamaru would move away from his patch of green for a new one every time Naruto would trip a trap or burst through the shrubbery. At least, in a way, Naruto was helping himself out. The Nara had little to no time to come up with a new strategy, given the Uzumaki's constant assault. He displaced before a viable strategy could be born. Up in the stands, the entire fight had fallen to a game of cat and mouse with small strategies and small assaults that seemed rather unimportant.

Kunai shot through the trees towards the blond lost in the center of his own fire. Like every time before, he'd dodge and catch a few mid-air and hurl them back towards the direction they came, but the man caught something different. As his right arm turned to hurl his kunai, the hand shook, changing the trajectory and speed the knife would go. It wobbled and fell just a few meters away from him. He gasped in disappointment with a dash of disgust. Shaking his hand once more, Naruto was doing a terrible job at hiding his new disability.

Orochimaru, or the Kazekage in disguise, frowned at the events. Something happened to the growing star of his attention. He even kept his mouth shut for Sasuke's disqualification to see the Uzumaki beat down the rest of the competition. With such power at the blond's disposal, he wanted to use him as well for his experiments and maybe even for the sole sake of learning every technique, use the blond as a jutsu machine. If his original reports before and during the exams, Naruto showed knowledge of only one ninjutsu technique, a brawler style of fighting, no genjutsu to speak of and his ability for tactics didn't go farther than on the fly.

Now, seeing the blond beat down a Hyuuga, plunge his hand through a partially transformed Jinchuriki and keep a Nara on his toes, Orochimaru was convinced that he made a slight oversight in choosing his next plaything. He frowned beneath his mask; something about the twitching arm needs to be fixed though if the blond was to be of any use to him. He could only begin to decipher what's causing it. At best case scenario, he suffers from what the foolish Tsunade was _suffering_ from. At worst case scenario, it was just the beginning of the end for the blond's mental state and he would end up in a mental ward. Either way, Orochimaru knew the blond would be instrumental in his quest and he needed said blond to be at full, one-hundred-percent capability.

Leaning into his seat he gave a look over at Hiruzen. "It seems Naruto is slacking."

"He's only tired." The Third Hokage smiled. "After all, he fought two powerful genin; and I'm not even bringing up the fact that one of them even became a partially transformed _Jinchuriki_. Mind explaining that one to me, Kazekage-dono?"

"My son is capable." Orochimaru continued the façade. "I never expected him to transform here."

"If I were you; I'd check up on him." Hiruzen's stern glare fell into a pair of eye-smiles. "After all, he is your son."

* * *

Naruto landed into the field of fire, dodging speeding shadow spears and spikes rushing at his back. He rolled about the sand, doing what he could to slow the speeding shadow but nothing would work. The crowds in the stands were on their feet, roaring and screaming for either boy. If Naruto was caught in the shadow, it was over; if Shikamaru dared to step free from the shade, it was over. As the Uzumaki had found, the Nara had a set range based off of how much shadow there was. He could scale up to about halfway through the arena floor before needing to reposition.

Naruto would have to a moron to even think about stepping into the shadows directly across from him on the other side of the arena. Shadows were connected, especially if a Nara was in control of them. If his shadow, not even his clothing or body; if his shadow barely touches the shade of the arena walls or the trees; it was all over for him. He watched his shadow and the different holes in the arena floor. He kept his distance from fire and the walls, but there was only so much land he could use to evade.

"Hey Naruto." Ahri piped. "Remember the charm ability; don't work hard, work smart."

 _But I'm not going to blow kisses at another guy!_ Naruto replied with a scowl. _And last I checked, if I didn't want to blow kisses, I'd have to get within a meter of him. My control of the ability is absolute garbage._

"Because you don't want to do things my way." Ahri huffed. "Maybe you could throw the Orb of Deception?"

 _Same thing; I need to get within a meter of him._

"Fox Fire seems to be your only choice at this point." The Gumiho frowned. "I'll give you some chakra but don't shove your arm into Shikamaru."

 _Tch. Don't joke around with that._ Naruto glared at the woman.

Jumping back into the fight, with the new amount of chakra, blood red orbs of fire exploded from his torso. Unlike before, various older shinobi and older civilians gasped at the color, immediately reminded of the Kyuubi attack fourteen years ago. Naruto dodged great spears of shadow and even the snaking shadow possession rushing at him from behind. Thankfully, the orbs of fire killed his shadow against the ground. The faster they spun the less shadow he projected.

Speeding towards the tree line, the three orbs shot outwards, embracing the foliage with great light and fire. From the corner of his eye, he could see Shikamaru using his jacket as a pulley, zip-lining across the arena. Naruto's eyes grew as wide as plates; Shikamaru wasn't aiming for him when he'd throw kunai! He was creating escape routes using kunai and ninja wire! The Uzumaki glared at the boy sliding along. Channeling chakra, he sped forward trying to catch up to the elusive Nara.

As the blood red fires engulfed the tree line killing the shade, Naruto finally caught sight of just how complex the system of ninja wire actually was. They crisscrossed and weaved between one another, while still giving the façade of empty sky. Shikamaru's strategy was so profound, it left Naruto standing there with a blank expression on his face. Naruto couldn't even see the ninja wire unless he concentrated long enough on a specific area. The Hokage and Kazekage, who'd just returned to the box, looked in awe. Civilians cried out in surprise and Daimyo whispered amongst themselves, shaking excitedly in their seats.

As Shikamaru slid along, he threw kunai and repositioned himself for another strike of long-ranged protracted combat. Thankfully, Naruto's amazing strategy of using paper-bombs was finally going to return to bite him in the ass. After all, he wasn't the only one with access to paper-bombs. As Naruto caught the incoming kunai, he tossed them away with a squeal and even did his best to throw some back. Each explosion was tiny compared to the ones Naruto caused, but it did its job of displacing him and giving him a taste of his own medicine. The battle continued with Naruto rushing along trying to find himself a kunai to cut Shikamaru down with.

Creating a pair of shadow clones, he sent them off to deal with the Nara. In the midst of their triple brawl; Naruto went to the dirt, sliding against the sand and the piles of dirt. He eyed the scene before him. The arena was huge and somehow, after just a series of fights; they'd managed to destroy almost the entire arena floor, tearing it asunder. Fires, giant holes, piles of dirt and piles of sand. What else was in store for the chunin exams now?

"Well…" Ahri piped once again. "You said, and I quote ' _Be careful, Ahri. Saying such heresy could bring destruction to the village! If I actually get the chance to fight Shikamaru, I promise you, the village will go up in flames._ ' Oh wow, look what's happening!"

 _I was joking._ Naruto glared at the woman.

"But hey, you said something about the village going up in flames." Ahri threw up her hands in defense. "You know what they say right?"

 _Who is they?_ Naruto gave her an incredulous look. _And no, I don't._

"They is a general term, Byeong-shin." Ahri rolled her eyes. "Be careful what you say, for it might just come true!"

 _So by that logic, if I continue screaming that I want to be Hokage, it'll happen eventually?_ Naruto gave her a look.

"Well…with the power and strength you showed here today; I wouldn't be surprised if you did become Hokage in the future." Ahri smirked.

 _AW YES!_

"Hey! Hey!" Ahri shouted. "The same applies to the opposite. Now get your ass into gear and beat Shikamaru already! It seems your pre-tournament feelings has some truth…I have a bad feeling about all of this…"

 _Oh. I didn't know fighting Shikamaru would send the world to hell._ Naruto laughed softly as his hands wrapped around the handles of the various kunai hidden within the sand. Rolling about, he created a small cloud to cover his movements. _I'm surprised though…_

"What do you mean?" Ahri gave him a raised brow.

 _Shikamaru is actually trying!_

* * *

In the stands, Orochimaru's eyes trailed left and right, anticipation burning in his legs and arms. Even with Naruto's abilities and newfound strength, the Sannin needed a bit more to go on. If somehow the Uzumaki had enough power to defeat his trump card, then maybe, just maybe, he could find enough reason to alter his plans.

Naruto retaliated after his clones were defeated, rushing towards the shadows again. Without a flash of hand seals, blood red orbs of fire surrounded him, rushing and orbiting with speed unlike before. He jumped over piles of dirt and sand, sending the orbs out towards the base of the arena floor. As he ran, the Nara responded with at least two spiraling spears of shadow. The first spear tore through the first mote of fire, dispersing it in every direction. Great and bright, the fires wrapped around the shadow spear. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the sight. It would seem that Shikamaru was beginning to lose chakra, weakening the strength of his shadow spears.

It was clear that the fight was beginning to fall into Naruto's hands and there would be no special strategy or some crazy scheme that the Nara could pull. Shikamaru had lost the fight the moment Naruto broke free from his shadow possession technique. The Uzumaki was known and witnessed to be a powerhouse of strength, agility and had the greatest stamina anyone had ever seen, much less Orochimaru. It infuriated him and at the same time, excited him. The great battles that would come in Naruto's future would only solidify the blond's enticement and…deliciousness.

Beneath his mask, Orochimaru licked his lips in anticipation. Naruto found Shikamaru in the arena and met the boy in a bout of taijutsu. Kicking and punching, the two were obviously low on energy. Shikamaru's blocks were below average and Naruto's punches were beginning to slow down to a manageable pace. He kicked through the Nara's defense, sending him flying a few feet. Before Shika could reposition and gather his bearings, Naruto appeared, lodging his knee into the boy's chest, knocking the wind from his lungs.

As Shikamaru backed away, Naruto flipped over, bringing his foot around for a three-sixty kick. The attack connected bashing against the Nara's scalp, knocking dirt and sand from his rustled hair. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, examining the taijutsu style. He hasn't seen a kick like that before. Continuing his gaze, Naruto followed up with a barrage of heavy punches, knocking dust from Shikamaru's shinobi mesh shirt in great plumes. Each hit sounded like a hammer hitting concrete. The Nara tried his best to concede but the barrage was too much, forcing him back on his steps. He would be damned though if he dared to fall down now.

The Sannin suddenly felt relieved and the excitement had only grown. The anger and the hatred was in Naruto's movements. The power that he held, he was keeping chained and boxed. It was shown in how he handled his lazy comrade. If those punches were like the attacks he used on Neji or Gaara, Shikamaru would have died immediately. But Naruto was holding back, keeping his emotions reined. After all, it would be a shame if he killed a clan heir.

 _It is only a matter of time…_

* * *

Naruto dodged between the punches and the kicks, finding most of them mediocre and lacking in form. Of course, Shikamaru must really be overexerting himself at this point. He figured it was time to end the fight. Without another thought, the Uzumaki burst forward tackling the Nara into the dirt. The first punch was dodged but the second bashed him in his eye. Shikamaru retaliated with an elbow to Naruto's jaw, knocking him off. Naruto rolled away, dodging Shikamaru's incoming shadow.

He jumped, he weaved and he even back flipped, garnering a few gasps at his agility from the crowds. As he backed from the Nara, his hands had grabbed kunai and shuriken from the piles of sand. Once he landed on his feet and just outside the maximum range of Shikamaru's shadow possession, he let loose, firing off a precision barrage of projectiles.

Too little too late, Shikamaru was grazed and even felt a shuriken embed into his shoulder as he tried to dodge. Naruto popped his neck feeling the last of Ahri's supplementary chakra disappear. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders leaving Naruto to his final attack.

"Shikamaru, this ends now!"

 **"Kage Mane no Jutsu!"**

Before the Uzumaki could strike, he froze in his tracks. His eyes were wide and for a moment, he was truly terrified. Using every ounce of strength he had, his eyes trailed over trying to see where Shikamaru's shadow could have come from. He pulled against the vice-like grip the Nara had on him. Ahri laughed heartily annoying Naruto to no end. The boy pulled against the grip wrapped around his torso. Eyes scanned the arena, finding no holes or fires to birth shadow. What made matters worse, he firmly believed he was outside of Shikamaru's range!

"N-Naruto…" Shikamaru spoke up, silencing the raving crowds. "You forgot the ninja wire…it doesn't matter how small or how thin an object is; shadow will always be cast…with the amount of wire I used it was a surprise that you didn't think about destroying my zip-lines."

"You've gotta be kidding me." Naruto gasped. Blue eyes examined the blackened eye of Shikamaru and the bruised cheeks and arms; what really made the Uzumaki shiver in fear, the shuriken embedded almost an inch into Shikamaru's shoulder. "S-So what happens now?"

The Nara raised his hand, forcing Naruto to do the same. "One of us has to surrender at this point."

Of course, practically everyone in Konoha had to be right handed, him included. Naruto's blood flaked arm still held a deep red tinge to it, holding on to the color. As it rose, it began to shake, jittering beneath a cold breeze. While to most it looked like Naruto was beginning to break free, to Shika it meant something else entirely. To him, it was the answer he was looking for, but how he got it, wasn't exactly his plan. The longer he held his arm high, he could see the pain in Naruto's eyes, radiating and glowing with an ethereal glimmer. It was terrifying.

"Damn it…" Shikamaru frowned. "Proctor! I surrender!"

Releasing the shadow possession, Naruto's arm fell free and he immediately clasped his shaking hand. "What the hell, Shika?!"

"I am low on chakra…" the Nara responded with a raised brow. "I could already feel you breaking out of my shadow possession again…I don't know about you, but to continue fighting you is suicide. Taijutsu is not my strong point and I know for a fact, if you were to close distance with me again, it would be over for me. In a way, this was my last ditch effort and I caught you. A shame really…I don't have enough chakra to really beat you."

The proctor arrived the instant the call for surrender was heard. When he looked at the two genin, he gave the two a smirk and raised a red flag dictating Naruto as the victor of the tournament. Shikamaru collapsed to the floor, holding his chest, gaining a worried look from Naruto. The blond rushed over to the Nara, yanking the shuriken from his deltoid, eliciting a teeth gritted groan. Black eyes glared menacingly at Naruto but quickly relieved into a soft yet pained eye smile.

"Good job, Naruto." Shika sighed softly. "Asuma-sensei, Jiraiya-sama…those two really knocked your ass into gear, didn't they?"

"You're goddamn right about that." Naruto laughed. "C'mon bud…let's get you to the medics…by the way…I'm really sorry if I got rough with you."

"Don't worry about it." Shikamaru waved him off. "We were in the middle of a fight and I did my best to actually try this time."

"Which brings me to what I wanted to say." Naruto clapped the Nara on his back, eliciting a powerful shout of pain. "You surprised me! Because of how much you wanted to prove yourself and _not be lazy_ I lost a bet I made with someone! Now I have to get rid of the orange in my outfits and I can never have ramen again!"

"You bet I would surrender?" Shika deadpanned.

Naruto deadpanned back. "You weren't going to surrender?"

"Point made." The Nara laughed. "The village will go up in flames before I choose to get rid of my laziness."

"Hey!" Naruto said with wide eyes. "You know what they say! Watch what you say, man! It might come true!"

Ahri glared at him. "Now you're going to steal things I've told you?"

 _Last I checked you can't copyright phrases._ Naruto stuck his tongue at the Gumiho.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It's just a figure of speech -"

But before he could finish his sentence, a great explosion shook the clinic and the concrete walls. Dust and pebbles fell from the ceiling and trickled off their shoulders. Screams could be heard echoing from down the hallway.

The two looked at one another, sweat as cold as ice and eyes as wide as plates.

Oh fuck.

 **To be continued…**

* * *

 **Yeah! To explain how Shikamaru managed to last that long  
put this into perspective.**

 **Naruto just finished fighting Gaara, and used a shitton of chakra trying to fight him  
if the imagery of last chapter wasn't obvious of that fact  
Shikamaru had a whole fight to channel and wait and prepare  
I mean there was a reason I had most of last chapter's fight also in Shikamaru's POV  
he was eyeing the opposition  
so he was prepared for Naruto's shit, well for most of it**

 **Either way! Review, Favorite and Follow! Get this fanfic famous guys!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	6. A Village in Flames

**Now I must apologize for how freakishly long this chapter is!**

 **LMAO**

 **okay, I just want y'all to know that the way Naruto is using the Kyuubi chakra  
is the way he will use the Kyuubi chakra throughout the story-ish**

 **Basically, when Naruto goes into stage one Kyuubi mode, where he gets super fast and grows pretty strong  
I've changed it to where every one of his senses gets increased, because let's be real; chakra of the GREATEST BIJUU  
should do more than just make Naruto into a wild child. Let's be real, chakra of that magnitude  
and sentience should do more than just create a pretty cloak and whatnot**

 **I feel that using Kurama's chakra, he should get a boon to perception, see things before they happen, sharingan - without the sharingan - type of thing  
Let's be real; whenever Naruto used the Kyuubi chakra in the original series, he always got his ass beat senselessly because he can't bloody think straight and always lost  
(Yes I know, save for Haku and when she double shanked the snake in the nose in the Forest of Death)  
** **(I understand that the chakra is malicious, yes, but Ahri has proven to not be the same as Kurama)**

 **Either way...**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: A Village in Flames**

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Shikamaru groaned into Naruto's shoulder. "GIVE ME A BREAK!"

A stampede of footsteps were heard rushing down the hall. Glinting hitai-ate could be seen revealing the symbols of Suna and Oto. Shikamaru fell to a knee with the rat hand seal already prepared. "Shika there's no time, come on!"

Without a moment to lose, he grabbed the lazy genius along. The two plowed through the clinic door, shattering the wood to splinters. Kunai and shuriken bounced off the walls and even embedded into the door frame, garnering a few not so well received remarks. Shouts and commands could be heard, echoing through the hall. Shikamaru and Naruto hobbled to their feet to find a barely conscious Neji with his uncle, the Hyuuga clan head, sitting by his side. The four of them looked at one another for a split second before the two battered shinobi went into action.

"Hiashi-sama?" Naruto asked as he barged across the clinic. "Where is Gaara?"

"Gaara?" The man asked.

"A sand shinobi was whisked away by medic ninja before my fight with Shikamaru…" Naruto explained with cold sweat. "Did you see him enter?"

"I have been with Neji since the end of his fight…" Hiashi gave Naruto a worried look. "No one else has been admitted into the clinic aside from Neji…why? What's wrong, Naruto-san?"

The Uzumaki clenched his teeth, feeling the beads of sweat finally trickle against his skin. "He is a Jinchuriki! If the Sand or Sound shinobi got their hands on him, who knows what'll happen!"

It was the Nara's turn to give worried looks. "You sealed his power though! I watched the seal glow in the gaping hole you left in his chest!"

"It was an imperfect seal!" Naruto sighed in exasperation, feeling his arm twitch again. "If they channel enough chakra through his body, or force it through with enough power, they could break the seal and the beast within him would return again! We can't do anything if we're still weak though, so Shika, please, hold the door for now and I need to look for soldier pills!"

Without another word, Shikamaru fell to a knee, using what little chakra he had left and created a small pocket of impassable shadow. Naruto though, scoured the medicine cabinets and cupboards. There were soldier pills somewhere. Having been in the hospital so many times in youth; all from different reason, he had come to know what almost every single hospital, clinic and ER had in their inventory. Pushing away needles and syringes and even pill bottles, he frowned in disbelief at the lack of soldier pills.

Those bloody things were like cheat codes on their own. They would have been the very thing that could save their sorry lives. Suddenly, during his irate search, he found a large pantry, locked behind a series of chains and great locks that look impossible to cut with kunai or even bolt cutters. For a moment he was about to scream in frustration until a thought came to mind. Ahri was too busy building chakra again to give him any form of help or advice, so he was on his own at the moment.

Channeling fire chakra to his palms, he wrapped the fingers around the cold steel and iron, forcing the heat into the metal. If what little of chemistry and science he knew, the heat would and should melt the chains and locks and give him access to the treasure that lied within. But he only had so much time to do so, already he could hear roars and shouts coming from the dark hallway. Swords clashed and kunai sung in the ambiance of battle.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru said with a wince in his voice. "How much longer are you going to take?"

"I'm almost done!" He called back, channeling what little chakra he had left into the chains.

Almost as if the gods were watching over him, the chains snapped free, melting to the floor below. He wrapped his fingers around the handle full intent of swinging the door open. But first pull, the door didn't budge. Second pull, the door was immovable. Third pull he'd run out of options. He bashed the door, shoving his elbow into the steel reinforced wooden doors. Then he rammed his fist into it, eliciting a few well-reasoned howls of pain. Before he could react once more, a powerful hand rested on his shoulder.

"Naruto-san, allow me." A gruff voice was heard.

Without another word spoke, the Uzumaki side-stepped allowing Hiashi Hyuuga to take a gentle-fist stance. Chakra roared off of his palm and before he knew it, the man shattered the door to splinters revealing crates and small tubs filled with soldier pills neatly sorted onto trays. Naruto quickly swiped a handful and downed at least two just to be safe. Hurtling through the clinic room, he shoved a pair down Shikamaru's gullet, much to his displeasure. At least the effects were worth the disgusting and uncomfortable taste.

Power and energy rushed through their stressed and aching bodies. Shikamaru's shadow darkened with color returning to his rather pale face. The sweat cascading from their pores came to a halt and left their faces dry. What little perspiration remained turned to steam as chakra sped through their coils. After giving a last command the Uzumaki charged, jumping through Shikamaru's shadow wall. "Head to the stands as soon as it's clear!"

Once he landed, he'd realized he was unarmed and without an idea of what he might face. Naruto was slightly apprehensive about taking on whatever lied beyond the shadows. Nevertheless, he knew it was his job to do so. His home was under attack and those explosions sounded nothing of the _kind_ sort. Once the darkness disappeared, a trio of sound shinobi, given the snake like scarves around their necks, had appeared before him. They wore full face masks that covered their entire face save for their eyes. Where a hitai-ate would be, the metal plate bearing their village symbol remained. Power shook off of them in droves, reminding Naruto that he was just a mere genin. He assumed the three were nothing short of chunin to jōnin at most. The three of them looked menacing and already had kunai drawn.

"Hey there?" Naruto gave the three a nervous smile.

The sound ninja didn't respond, shooting off for Naruto's neck. Even with a pair of soldier pills ingested, he was still aching all over. His body moved on its own, dodging and weaving in the narrow space that the hall was. Naruto was finding it increasingly difficult to deal with their three-pronged assault. Despite how cramped it must have been for three large men to attack at once, they seemed to never run out of space. Every chance he thought he had to cast a technique, a kunai would come dangerously close to his hand seals or come at his unprotected sides. For a moment he felt envious of Haku and his ability to use ninjutsu with a single hand seal.

Channeling chakra to his limbs, he grabbed the first arm he could. The Sound ninja looked at Naruto with wide eyes, completely caught off guard by how quickly he'd been caught. Lost in the fight, Naruto quickly used the chunin as a springboard, launching himself to the ceiling of the hall. He flipped behind the first man, lodging his foot into his forehead, breaking his stance. As he spun mid-air, he landed perfectly on his feet. Barely a sound and barely a hair out of place. With chakra still burning in his legs, he sprang forward, lodging his knee into another chunin, sending the man flying into the concrete walls, turning a few tiles to powder. The final remaining shinobi rushed at Naruto with his kunai swinging about with dangerous precision. Naruto could feel the wind cutting and slicing as the blade lunged past his ears.

Each attack was close to marking his face eternally with a gaping scar. As the fight progressed, the shinobi underestimated Naruto's skills. The genin had a month's worth of kunai dodging experience that was rather fresh in his mind. While each attack was steady, strong and true to their targets, the man's attacks and strike pattern almost screamed textbook stance, something that should be only learned for reference and basics. The instant Naruto found the rhythm, he moved like a robot, dodging and weaving in between each lunge, strike and slash finding the fight become a serious bore. After all, he was trained by a Sanin, a former Ninja Guardian and a Gumiho, anything else is honestly a chore. Bringing his thoughts to the fight, all he needed was the perfect opening, the perfect flaw in the rather imperfect assault. The instant he found it, the Uzumaki grabbed the man's arm and wrenched him forward.

Without a fumble or twitch in his arm, the boy tore the kunai from his target's hand and shoved the knife between the shinobi's eyes.

 _Fuck!_

Pain exploded throughout his arm as the shinobi's eyes rolled to the back of his head. He slumped into Naruto's body with arms hanging slack. Letting the kunai go, the man fell as nothing more than dead weight. He backed away stumbling over the fallen corpse, staring at his arm with fear and eyes as wide as plates. Hell, even Ahri was surprised by his sudden animosity. Before he even had a moment to truly capitalize on his actions and regain his bearings, one of the beaten shinobi rose to their feet, a pair of kunai grasped in his tight-fisted hands. Without much choice, Naruto bent down, tearing the bloodied kunai from the skull of his previous victim.

The chunin looked at his dead comrade and back to Naruto. Bringing a hand to his black mask, he tore it open revealing the rest of his face. He roared a powerful battle cry and charged at him, chakra in his arms and legs, creating the false image of a whirlwind. Naruto had to admit, the man was fast but not entirely skilled. For a chunin, the man relied too much on trying to be a buzz saw than being effective in his craft. Almost one out of every fifty full rotations, a kunai tip would come close enough to cut at Naruto's clothing. That was not a ratio destined for efficiency. Taking a chance after growing frustrated with the little dervish, he hurled the kunai forward, expecting the knife to be deflected. Instead, he was in for a nasty surprise.

When the dervish came to a slowing halt, the kunai was revealed to have embedded through the man's hitai-ate. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head as the kunai and his hands fell to his sides. The momentum kept the man spinning, showering small amounts of blood into the remaining dervish.

"You **_monster_**!" Ahri laughed uncomfortably. "You're a savage Naruto!"

The poor boy couldn't give her the time of day. His mind was reeling and his arm was beginning to shake even worse than any time before. Two men, higher in rank and age and experience…he killed them as if it were the easiest thing to do. He wrapped his fingers around his arm, struggling to keep the shaking under control. He looked at the men, eyes burning with fear and worry; these two men probably had families and friends…they weren't Jinchuriki. There was no way in any hell that these two would be getting up. His stomach churned as the breakfast he'd enjoyed was coming back for vengeance. He fell pressing his back against the wall. Within seconds he'd thrown up, spraying the concrete tiles.

But from the corner of his eye he watched the third and final shinobi struggle to his feet. Naruto eyed him up and down; he was the first victim of his assault. His breath grew heavy as his eyes examined the foot print on the man's hitai-ate metal plate.

"I'm going to kill you!" He roared, drawing out a kunai blade.

Similar to the kunai knives in design, save for the single edge and flat side, the difference was in the length, strength and cutting power. In all respects, the kunai blade should be called a kunai sword. Naruto's eyes widened at the glowing aura that surrounded the sword. The man imbued chakra into the weapon giving it a better cutting edge! He dodged the first swipe, watching the chakra rush forward and slice through the concrete as if it were butter. Evading and cartwheeling away, Naruto grabbed the two kunai from the ground and brought them up to his sides.

Thanks to his sealing skills and sleight of hand, he strapped an explosive tag to each kunai. Luckily, the tags were low powered. They did enough damage to dismember the man in front of him, but thankfully not enough to collapse an entire cavern on top of him. After all, Shikamaru and the two Hyuuga were still in the clinic as far as he knew. Hurling the two kunai towards the sword wielding shinobi, the two projectiles were blocked and sent astray. As the kunai tumbled and sang through the hallway, the two explosive tags began to glow. Much to Naruto's surprise, the shinobi didn't notice the explosive tags.

With a dark look and a glare marring his face, released a simple command. **"Kai!"**

The explosion was small and controlled. From the shockwave alone, his legs were blown out from under him, sending him flying towards the Uzumaki. Sidestepping the legless corpse and the trail of blood flowing in his wake, Naruto simply reached out, grabbing the kunai sword. Swinging it about, he relished in how smooth and clean it cut. Channeling his chakra into the weapon, he was amazed at how much power began to radiate off the sharpened edge. Turning his attention to the shinobi holding the lacerated stumps he now had for legs, he gave the man a simple glance.

"Kill me now!" He cried, embracing a baseless bravado. "Do it-ugh!"

Naruto dropped the kunai sword tip down into the man's chest. Within his mindscape Ahri gasped throwing her hands to her face with her blood-red eyes glowing with surprise. She growled the instant she realized what was happening. There was something definitely wrong with her container. He was siphoning her chakra without either of them noticing. She crossed her arms over her chest feeling Naruto's hurricane of emotions. He was angry then sad, then angry again only to fall on his base emotions of confusion and terror. Every time he went to kill something his arm would stop shaking, but the instant the rush was over, it would return full force. Ahri looked up, glaring at the great seal that held her.

 _Damn Minato for making such a complex seal._ She began to pace as she finally felt her chakra begin to flow into his coils. It was understandable, the amount of chakra that the seal was siphoning away was so miniscule the woman didn't even realize it. As frustrating and simple it was, no matter what she did to rein her chakra in, the seal would bypass her control and continue to siphon away her power and influence into the blond. Naruto ripped the kunai sword from the shinobi corpse and wiped the blade on his orange pants. Looking back and forth, he knelt, running his hands across the three carcasses, robbing them of their kunai and shuriken supplies.

Having replenished his supplies, he sped off in a full sprint, the Uzumaki had full rein to escape. Upon hearing another flurry of footsteps coming from behind, he brought his hands together he formed his famous cross hand seal. As he closed the distance with the arena entrance, a plethora of shouts and orders given under the cloud of rage echoed from down the hall this time, there were definitely more than a simple trio of chunin.

An explosion of smoke covered his escape, leaving behind a great pack of pissed off shadow clones. Almost fifteen of the doppelgangers were left behind, each one preparing to defend and hold the clinic and hallway. It was imperative that the invading forces didn't enter the clinic. As the clones took position, Naruto burst into the arena field. Compared to the dark of the barely lit hallway, the brightness of the post-afternoon sun was akin to a searing flame against his irides. Giving himself a moment to adjust to the light, what he saw sent shivers down his spine. Directly in front of him, a wall had begun to collapse giving him full view of the damage of the village.

Smoke rose into the sky, coloring the great blue and white palette a slight black, throwing the competitive spirit out the proverbial window. Through the settling smoke and dust, giant snakes trampled the outer village and were slowly making their way towards the inner village. From what his eyes could decipher, small figures were seen dashing about, colliding and clashing mid-air. Sparks and light flashed in through the shade. Shinobi from all three villages rushed about, tearing the village landscape to dust. Ninjutsu went off obliterating many places the young genin had grown up venturing to and fro. He couldn't believe his eyes; everything, from the Yamanaka Flower Shop, the various shinobi stores, the clothing shops and even the numerous street vendors; all destroyed in the chaos. He couldn't begin to fathom the destruction before his eyes.

Anger boiled within his heart, channeling more of Ahri's chakra. He clenched his fists, drawing blood from his palm. He didn't feel it or he didn't care, either way, he was almost completely unfazed by the pressure. Two shinobi rushed at him from across the arena floor. Both were armed with simple kunai. Naruto smiled to himself, feeling the shaking and jittering arm come to a halt. The mere excitement of taking the lives of those who've brought harm to his home filled him with joy. He charged forward, fully intent on meeting them first. Using chakra to his legs, he ducked the first kunai slice and threw his kunai sword around with a great aura of chakra radiating off the blade.

The shinobi was bisected the instant the chakra-enhanced blade met his flesh. Blood didn't spray until after his torso hit the ground. Naruto turned to the second shinobi, eyes burning with rage. The look the chunin bore was akin to fear and cowardice. To think, shinobi with mindsets like that were throwing his village to chaos. It only served to anger him further. Speeding forward, he lodged his knee into the shinobi, sending the man back a few feet holding his chest. The man dropped his kunai in the confrontation making the young Uzumaki smile even more. Before the shinobi could retaliate or draw another kunai, Naruto's kunai sword dug into the man's face, spilling blood onto the grassy arena floor.

Kicking the man from his blade, the Uzumaki turned to face the great opening within the arena wall. From what he could tell, there were about five large snakes tearing through the buildings and streets, rampaging and killing countless civilians. He took off to get a closer look at the destruction, finding the snakes to bear heraldry of three magatama, similar to Sasuke's curse mark. Instead of black, the magatama were violet on a field of noir, bordered in yet more violet. The heraldry was worn almost similar to bibs that babies wore. Naruto narrowed his eyes; it was almost as if the snakes were prepared for a feast.

Before he could examine the chaos any further, his ears perked at the great noise coming from the stands behind him. A personal fear of his, civilians from not just his village, but foreign villages were caught in the mess with Sand shinobi and Leaf shinobi battling it out. What surprised him the most though; the ANBU were disabled and struggling to handle another team of ANBU. What little forces that were not occupied with fighting, struggled to get the civilians out of the arena. They trampled and screamed, trying to flee the hailstorm of shuriken and kunai flying about. A few were struck down the instant they left their seats. Others were purposely thrown into the crossfire by Oto and Suna shinobi, using civilians as human shields. Unable to handle the scene any further, he trailed his eyes over to the Kage box, a great purple field surrounded the entire structure.

He gritted his teeth glaring at the scene in front of him. A squad of ANBU rushed at the great purple monstrosity but were evaporated the instant they crashed into the barrier. Naruto spat in frustration feeling his clones dispel within the hall behind him. All around, the village began to fall apart; his village; his home. Clenching his fists and tightening his hold on the kunai sword, he sped across the arena floor knocking over the two corpses at his feet, towards the growing hostilities. More Konoha and Suna shinobi were meeting at the fallen wall section.

With speed he had during the first bout in the tournament, he closed the distance unbelievably fast. The first Oto shinobi that crossed his path could have been a jōnin at most. Like lightning though; rank and affiliations flew out the window as he shoved his newly acquired sword through the man's chest. Putting his weight into his new kill, Naruto could feel stability return to his arm. The Konoha chunin kunoichi he saved looked at him with both relief and surprise. Flipping over, he forced the kunai sword from the dead jōnin sending a shower of blood from his beautifully lacerated chest. Once he landed, he blocked and deflected a few kunai and shuriken praising and thanking the gods for the blessing that the wide flat-sided blade was.

Twirling the weapon around, chakra was absorbed into the weapon, generating a few great breaths sending wind and dust into the air. Bringing the raging winds to his blade, he flipped a kick. The blade followed suit before launching free towards his target. The winds were great and imposing but also unbelievably sharp. The chunin stood no chance. Turning his eyes to his comrades, he nodded and created almost twenty shadow clones, each armed with a kunai sword. When he took off towards the stands, he left his fellow Konoha shinobi in awe and fear.

After all, it wasn't every day that you look into a boy's eyes and see blood red irides and slit pupils of a demon.

* * *

In the stands, Shino had launched his insects in every direction, ensnaring and entrapping a handful of Suna and Oto shinobi. They screamed and struggled against the creepy-crawlies. It was no use and in the end, the beetles had absorbed a great deal of their chakra, leaving them lax and weak. Suddenly, a great burst of chakra was felt coming from within the arena floor. As all eyes turned to the railing, a boy with an obnoxiously bright and orange jumpsuit appeared, eyes burning red and a blade glowing with an ethereal blue aura. When he landed, he channeled chakra throughout his pores and tenketsu, disappearing within a blink of an eye.

When he appeared, his blade was shoved completely through an opponent and three bolts of flame shot from his body. The enemy unlucky to be near him was incinerated instantly. Within, Ahri was contemplating how she should react to such a show of skill. She had only spent a month training his sorry ass and he was already this adept with her ultimate and her Fox Fire techniques. While he was yet to reveal his Orb of Deception up close or use his Charm ability, he was showing skill unlike any before. So far, she had to at least commend him for his use of only shadow clones and now, his Spirit Rush. He was conserving chakra and that isn't even his intention.

He plowed through a pair of Oto shinobi, killing them all with his blade and new found rage. Sadly, Ahri still hadn't found a way to bypass the seal's rather intrusive algorithm. She was worried about his state of mind; he was channeling her chakra at a dangerous rate; any more and the boy would grow a chakra shroud and become toxic to the touch. Knowing how his friends and comrades were extremely touchy-feely, Ahri didn't need their hate and fear of her container. The poor blond would not respond well to such criticism again. He jumped, pushing his body off a wall to gain enough air to kick a shinobi in the cheek. The foot flew like lightning and hit like a ton of iron. The shinobi flew back, feeling his cheek steam slightly.

When Naruto landed, his eyes were glowing like LED lights at this point, signifying his rage. The whiskers on his face were more profound, almost looking like hairs spread and raised in defense. His hair had fallen wild, waving in the wind giving off a vibe of animalism. He was hunched as his nails increased length and energy built into his kunai sword. Disappearing with the Spirit Rush once again, he drew his sword around, beheading a pair of chunin, sending the heads flying. Once he landed in the stands, his vibrant crimson eyes burned with an intense fury, scaring the genin before him.

Sakura, Ino and Choji were terrified of the chaos happening around them. A pair of shinobi lay dead at their feet, stomachs torn open with blood rushing and pooling around their carcasses. Naruto walked forward, rage and anger quickly dissipating at the mere sight of their terror. The chakra receded and much to Ahri's relief, his features returned to normal. Ahri rushed within the mindscape to get a hold of her chakra before he loses his decides to lose his mind. Pain and heat returned to his arm as it began to twitch once again. Fortunately, his eyes were fixated on the men his fellow genin had dispatched of. Ino was nursing a large gash in her shoulder, Choji bore a large cut on his cheek that sliced through the spiral markings and Sakura's forehead was cut clean, marring the large billboard brow that Naruto had enjoyed for so long.

"Guys…" Naruto's voice was low. He reached down for the cowering shinobi and kunoichi, pulling them along. "W-What happened…?"

"We don't know!" Ino cried over the clashing blades and explosions within the village. "We reacted and next thing we know, these two guys are dead and we're covered in blood…"

 **"Naruto; get down!"** A powerful and almost half-delirious roar was heard. **"Chidori!"**

The boy turned to his rear to find Sasuke blast through hand seals and finally give birth to his newest ninjutsu. With his hand outstretched, lightning akin to the sound of chirping birds came to life, screeching in a never ending song. His entire face was covered in the black tattoos and seals that spelled disaster. But to Naruto, the pent up rage and anger that he'd been so afraid of…was a necessity now. The power he held, the inhibitions he lacked, that was something that they needed right now. In the chaos, Naruto shot forward, pushing the three shell-shocked genin to the floor as Sasuke flashed forward with an arc of lightning in his wake, electrocuting and even plowing through the seats and stands.

The boy's first target was a Suna chunin that could barely register the Uchiha's inhuman speed. Within a blink of an eye, the chidori burst through the man's abdomen, ripping and shredding through his flesh. Speed unlike any other, Sasuke tore his arm through the man's side and disappeared once again. In a time span of only five seconds, the boy had dispatched enough chunin to rival Naruto's own ferocity. When he finished with his technique, the tattoos simply spread even more, almost as if it were feeding off of his success. Chakra exploded from his shoulder bearing a dark violet color. When Naruto saw the look in the Uchiha's eye he saw something he hadn't seen before.

 _Respect…for…me…_

* * *

Through the streets, combat was even worse than the arena stands. Fires raged against the stores and businesses, sending those not witnessing the chunin exams to an impasse. Corpses of innocent men and women lay about, strewn against the alleys and walkways. Shinobi clashed on the rooftops leaving those defeated to fall from the sky as if it were raining corpses. In one of the most contested streets and crossroads, the main strip of Konoha, along the dark alleyways shrouded by the great overbearing rooftops, a man stood with his hands up. Behind him, his wife and infant child stood covered in dirt and flakes of blood.

He himself looked no better than they, but in his hand was a kunai he managed to snag from a dead shinobi. His breath was heavy, having fought with an exhausted Sound shinobi, judging by the headband the man wore. He was tired and sloppy giving the man the perfect opening to deal death. Now he could hear jutsu being called and great creatures bursting through the urban sprawl. He held his wife back, doing his best to time their escape correctly. From the sirens he heard blaring over the first bout of explosions, the evacuation to the Hokage Mountain bunker had begun. Unfortunately for his family, they were caught along the first wave of attacks.

The streets were closed off and blocked with debris and giant husks of what used to be buildings. For shinobi, traversing such simple things would be child's play but for the civilians, the people who funded, fed and supplied the shinobi force, such things could mean life or death. The invasion was swift and sudden and if he didn't know any better, he'd say the invasion started within the village. His eyes trailed over to the source of the greatest amount of chakra output. Despite never being a shinobi, there was so much chakra he could feel it permeate through the air, almost saturating it. It was then that he saw the great purple monstrosity that had formed around one of the arena stands.

He leaned against the wall behind him, hearing men and women scream and cry out, their lives having left their hearts. Some of the corpses tumbled over the rooftop shrouding them from sight and collapsed in front of them. He quickly shielded the eyes of his infant child, seeing the blood pool beneath the pile of corpses. Their faces mangled and a few looked like they've been thrown into a furnace. Other's though looked like they'd been thrown into a house of daggers, each cutting and slicing their faces, arms and torsos to shreds. As the combat came to a slowing halt, the man poked his head out from the cover of the alleyway, looking left and right.

To his left, following the main strip of Konoha, the Hokage tower stood looking akin to a great vermilion fortress. Great trails of fire and kunai shot down to the army of silhouettes trying to scale the walls. Turning his head to his right, there were small bases of operation judging by the sandbags, radios and shinobi standing in reserve. Thankfully for him, the base was close to the main gate of Konoha, leaving almost a mile of space between them and his family. Patrols had taken to the rooftops and winding streets along the way with skirmishes exploding down the road. Turning his vision to the alleyway in front of him, a map of Konoha was visualized within his mind's eye.

The alleyway in front of him swerved to the left, giving him a better path towards the Hokage Mountain bunkers. Turning his vision to the place in question, he could see large trials of silhouettes and colorful palette. He prepared his speeding run towards the alleyway after hearing the combat come to a sudden silence. Motioning for his wife, the woman rose to her feet, feeling hope burn in her chest. Even her child had fallen silent in preparation to move once again. The man gave one more look of the street and the battles still raging within the village.

Little did he know, a small genin squad from Suna was incoming.

* * *

 _Thirty minutes before…_

"Let me go!" Gaara howled. "I need to prove myself! You bastard! **UZUMAKI!** "

The redhead fought back, feeling his flesh rush together, merge and form into skin once again. The medics were amazed and honestly unable to fathom the scene before them. Naruto stood within the arena with a blank expression on his face, but an arm drenched in the poor boy's blood. He couldn't stop fighting and from the face Temari bore, she couldn't stomach the pained sound her brother let out. She couldn't help herself; damn the plan, damn the invasion! Her baby brother is in trouble! Her eyes stung with tears welling.

Without thinking, her head whipped towards the Kage Box, finding the Hokage and her father talk between themselves. Her father didn't even get up, didn't even twitch at the sight of his son's possible demise, if anything, she could see from what little of his face the man revealed, he was practically relieved by what he saw. Temari gritted her teeth, still able to hear Gaara roar through the winds. She turned her head to the Nara that held her and her brother in a shadow possession.

"I won't take any chances." Shikamaru glared. "I've -"

"Alright…" Genma called. "With the defeat of Sabaku no Gaara, it is time to move up the fights to the semi-finals."

Shikamaru's shadow shot back to him immediately. Shino's insects soared back to him and hid within the sleeves of his overbearing coat. Temari's eyes were wide with rage and she was looking near to explode. If it weren't for Kankuro's hand resting on her shoulder, she would have exploded and started the invasion a little too soon and everything would fall to hell. She glared at herself and her brother, finding her hands reaching over to the fan on her back. Something wasn't right and there was an itching feeling in the back of her mind; she needed to get to Gaara and get the hell out of dodge. She was loyal to Sunagakure and nothing would change that, but her baby brother was more important than a few sand castles and walls.

She looked to Kankuro, almost asking for agreement. The war-painted genin nodded his head, black cat-suit hood waving in the growing winds. Bringing her hands forward, she drowned the two Konoha genin arguing with one another as she gripped the guard railing with all her might. With how much pressure she was pushing, she was surprised she hadn't dented or bent the bloody metal. Her hand was pale white as her palms began to pulsate with a radiating pain. Her brother's hand found her shoulder once again in a failed attempt to calm her down. But as her mental rage fest came to an end, a great shout was heard.

"Shika!" Naruto's voice reverberated with a playful anger. "Don't you dare surrender! I didn't fight to the semi-finals just to win because you gave up!"

His voice.

Temari's blood went cold at the mere sound of his voice, finding it terrifying beyond belief. It was the same boy that killed her brother. If it were not for the beastly creature residing within the redhead, the woman was convinced that not even the medics of both of their villages could save the genin. Sands blew in the wind that rushed into the arena floor, filling Temari with a cold weight in her stomach. Drowning out the Nara's overbearing and drawled sigh/groan that screamed frustration and laziness, Temari was doing everything she could to keep the image of Gaara's mangled flesh from her mind. She was struggling to remove the image of Naruto's bloodied palm blown through her little baby brother's chest.

Once the Nara was safely down in the arena, Temari released her vice-like grip of the railing and quickly fled towards the stairs. The creepy bug shinobi from Konoha gave her a look but quickly retracted his suspicions when he saw the rage and the tell-tale signs of tears in her teal eyes. With Kankuro tailing behind her, the woman descended the stairs with her glare only deepening. Her brother was defeated and somehow the Uzumaki sealed his chakra and abilities. At least she had one thing to be glad about; Naruto didn't seal the beast too much, or else the chakra wouldn't have been able to save Gaara in time. She came to a halt, resting her sweaty palm against the cold concrete and steel walls.

She whipped her head along the great hallway leading to the clinic, ignoring the roars from the crowd above. It seems Naruto and Shikamaru went off without speeches or explosions. Walking along the hall, she found that most of the lights had been shut off surprising her to no end. She progressed worriedly, hand on her battle fan. Behind her, Kankuro had taken sight of her sudden worry and immediately created chakra strings leading to the puppet wrapped in bandages. He followed after her with a glare on his face, fully prepared to strike out against whoever it was Temari caught sight of.

They two found light disappeared quickly within the great hallway, finding the only brightness came from the arena and the exit a ways away along the hallway. She clenched her teeth finding little to nothing in the hall, save for the light beaming from the clinic housing the Hyuuga that Naruto beat to a pulp. Once again, a shiver rose up the girl's spine; the Uzumaki showed no qualms about beating a comrade into the dirt. When the blond had finished his barrage of punches, his victim looked like a popped tomato, bleeding and bruised all over. He was almost unrecognizable. Steeling her resolve, she grabbed her brother and shot to the wall adjacent to her.

Bringing a finger against her lips she turned to her brother giving off an unintelligible 'Shh'. Kankuro nodded his head and fell to knee as Temari prepared to scout ahead. The Hyuuga patient was talking, surprising Temari, to someone else. An older man was speaking to Neji about some history of their clan and his father. None of it mattered to her as she took a quick moment to peer her head across the way to see if her brother was in the clinic or not. When she looked though, she was dismayed and almost stricken with disbelief. Her brother was not in the clinic and the nurses and medical shinobi weren't around either. No sign of Gaara or struggle was seen within the pristine white room.

Rolling along, the woman barrel-rolled along the concrete floor making as little noise as possible. Covering ground as swiftly as possible, she found the hall continued onward, thankfully, the entrance/exit wasn't too far from her and her brother. She narrowed her eyes at the sight in front of her, no Gaara and no Sand shinobi or medics. Given the fact the invasion was thrown a few thousand steps back, the young genin wondered who could have extracted her little brother without consulting her father first. Thinking back, her father was undisturbed within the Kage box the entire fight and even after. There was no way the shinobi of her land would act so impulsively.

Trailing against the wall she traversed into the dark, pressing her hands against the walls. Judging by the tirade the Hyuuga prodigy gave during the preliminaries, they would sense the slightest use of charka and before she knows it, Konoha shinobi would be asking questions. Dragging her feet along, she heard a great explosion rock the arena causing dust and powdered concrete to trickle from newly formed cracks within the ceiling. Temari suddenly kicked against a strange object within the dark, bringing a slight clank to echo through the concrete hall. Luckily, Naruto and Shikamaru's battle was explosive and the cries of the crowds were practically overbearing.

She fell to knee and ran her hands along the object, growling beneath her breath. "This is a stretcher…"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kankuro asked his sister.

Temari dropped the stretcher with fists clenched. "I don't know who escorted our brother away but I will find out."

The two burst forward, hiding and sneaking be damned. Once they burst through the entrance, the beautiful blaring sun beat upon their irides. Temari immediately shut her eyes and Kankuro brought a hand to shield his eyes. The village was still bustling despite the great gathering of civilians and shinobi alike within the arena. The blonde looked along the street finding children running and playing tag with their parents working their stores and stalls. She took a deep breath and led her brother along looking for any sign of their sibling. She narrowed her eyes feeling a strange sensation brush against her cheeks. Motioning for the puppet user behind her, the two took to the rooftops.

"You have a lead?" Kankuro asked.

A great roar echoed from the arena as men and women cried out the names of the two competitors. Temari frowned. "I swear I can feel sand brushing against my face…if we follow the general direction it's coming from, we could find him in time…"

"Temari." Kankuro gave her a worried look. "You still want to go through with the invasion? Father wasn't exactly in his right mind when he planned the damn thing and if you hadn't noticed, there are still thousands of Konoha shinobi patrolling the village or out on missions…I don't know…I have a bad feeling."

"I do too…" The blonde sighed. "But Suna, our home, our nation expects us to do this."

"But how do we know if these Sound shinobi are even reliable." Kankuro narrowed his eyes as they followed the trail of sand.

"What do you mean?"

Kankuro looked away. "What do we even know of this _Otogakure_? Last I checked I've never even heard of such a place until they came to Father asking for an alliance."

Temari looked down clenching her fists as they sped through the rooftops, moving as quickly as they could. Temari could feel the sand blowing from an angle and judging by the speed of the wind they were taking a detour towards the western gate; the gate that leads straight to Sunagakure. Temari glared, narrowing her eyes at the sudden pit in her stomach. She dashed forward, blasting past her brother. Leaving him in her dust, the amount of sand was beginning to grow in quantity. If that was true, Gaara's control over sand was beginning to return and he was trying to defend himself. She bit her lip; why would he try to defend himself?

"Sabaku no Temari." A gruff voice halted her mid-jump. "Head back to the arena. You are not permitted to venture through the village unattended."

Temari's skin went cold. Slowly, she turned to face the persecutor. She looked at the man finding him dressed in a long black shroud with an unmarked ANBU mask bearing the visage of a terrifying animal. It was unlike any other ANBU mask she'd seen. The mask looked like a bear but it had six eyes and a wide open maw bearing what looked like a cadre of sharpened teeth. He was average height but radiated a power she'd only felt from one person; Gaara. This man looked like business, like he was more than ready to kill her if she said anything wrong or did anything out of line.

"Who are you?" Temari asked warily. "You don't look like ANBU…"

"Who I am doesn't matter." He responded, a long blade sliding from his long sleeves. "I will only say this one more time; go back to the arena or I will be forced to strike you down."

Suddenly, great wooden arms snaked around the ANBU. Temari jumped back, flipping onto another rooftop not too far behind her. The ANBU was unfazed and even turned his head to look at the one who attacked him. Kankuro's puppet struggled to hold the man in place, it even extended the razor blades attached to each limb section. Temari couldn't see blood or a change of demeanor. This man sent shivers up and down her spine.

"So be it."

The ANBU disappeared in a pop of smoke. He reappeared, sword barred and ready to decapitate the blonde. Temari quickly backed away, ducking beneath his swipes. He was faster than she originally anticipated and had a reaction time unlike any other. Each draw and swing of her fan was met with a clash and shower of sparks. Eyeing the possibilities and vantage points, a small flash of metal caught her attention reminding her of her second best asset; her brother.

Suddenly, just before the flat-headed katana could meet her flesh, the thick torso of a puppet appeared taking the brunt of the attack. Sadly, it did little to nothing to deter the ANBU. The flat head of the sword pressed against the grounded puppet giving the flexible shinobi enough of a steady surface to flip with professional and smooth acrobatics. Pushing off of the puppet's body, he flipped mid-air hurling a flurry of shuriken and kunai. Each of which, the puppet took in earnest. Kankuro jumped, closing the distance between himself and his puppet. When he landed, he glared at the ANBU channeling more chakra into his strings.

"Temari, get to Gaara." Kankuro narrowed his eyes. "We only have so – ugh!"

Temari's eyes were wide.

"KANKURO!"

He flew back, dust waving off of his body; his puppet in splinters and chakra dispersing to the winds. In the wake of the destruction, the ANBU stood with a fist five times larger than before. She watched his forearm shrink to its normal size. He tilted his head at her, finding her fear almost amusing. Temari watched her brother smash into a concrete wall and tumble down to the dark and dank alleyway. She could hear his body crush against the stone bricks.

"Who are you?!" Temari drew her fan.

"Don't act like we don't know about your plan to destroy Konoha." The ANBU spoke once again. "We will do everything we can to keep our village safe…even let it burn to ash if we have to."

"W-What are you talking about?" Temari backed away, channeling chakra to her fan.

The ANBU walked towards her, fist growing in size once again. "I mean, Orochimaru and my master have made a pact; you and your siblings trying to escape throws our plans astray and out the window. Foolish brat…now die!"

He shot forward, the great fist bashed against the broadside of her fan. Barely able to hold her ground, she could feel the roof tiles split and lift beneath her feet. Jumping away, the kunoichi opened her fan, channeling wind chakra to her attack. The ANBU stayed on the rooftops, looking up at her with his six empty black eye sockets. The bear mask was disconcerting. She watched him as she stayed airborne, he had sheathed his flat-headed katana and drew out standard kunai. Remembering Naruto's fights, she could only hope that the ANBU didn't feel inspired by his performance. She began her descent and landed safe and sound.

Without another second to waste, the ANBU appeared before her, slashing and clashing his knife against her fan. She deflected his weight, leading him along to other directions but every attempt to really put him in his place was for naught. They'd finally arrived to a standstill, with him pressing against her with all of his weight. The kunai was drawing sparks with even the slightest movement worrying the Suna Kunoichi. She gritted her teeth trying to displace his weight, or even force him along, but nothing was working. The ANBU was too skilled and rightfully so. Lost to her thoughts, trying her best to come up with a new strategy, she didn't realize the pair of Konoha greens on their way.

"Halt!" One of them cried.

Judging by the light green flak jackets the pair wore, Temari deduced they were chunin. Both looked like every other chunin in Konoha. In their hands were swords, both were prepared to fight. The ANBU jumped back, adopting a defensive stance. He pointed accusingly at Temari and simply gave the command to attack. The chunin gave the Black Ops member a raised brow and even lowered their guard. Temari could feel beads of cold sweat trickle down her jaw and drip from her chin. The ANBU walked up to the two Konoha chunin with the knife still in his hands. No words were shared but the look the two chunin sported was nothing short of fear. _No…it's fear, not respect._ Temari backed away, holding her fan at the ready.

"If you won't strike down the enemies of Konoha…" the ANBU spoke with a deep growl. "Then you are in league with the enemy!"

Like lightning strikes, the ANBU slashed the pair of Konoha chunin without remorse. Their blood sprayed in wide arcs painting the tiled rooftop beneath them. Temari's eyes bugged from her head, practically shooting from their sockets. With a shaky hand she gripped her fan as tightly as she could. She backed away, fan spread and chakra building against it. The ANBU saws this and stared at her for a few moments, the black empty holes where eyes should be were all she could see. Such empty ravines, black as caverns, darker than a moonless night. Thankfully she'd placed a pair of buildings between her and the terrifying ANBU.

"This ends now!"

A pair of kunai rushed at her. Without thinking, she quickly swung her fan, bringing the great behemoth to swing to her right. With winds arched with the natural winds and changed the trajectory of the projectiles. As the kunai flew away, the explosive tags attached to the circles at their pommels unraveled. Temari's eyes widened once again feeling a deep and dark pit grow within her stomach. The kunai headed straight for the arena stands; the largest stand filled with the most civilians and foreign Daimyo. She turned to face the ANBU who ensnared her.

He closed the distance in her confusion; foot outstretched. If the impact were any stronger, she was certain it would have changed her life. It sent her flying towards a concrete wall, reminiscent to her brother's defeat. She crashed against the concrete, cracking and shattering it slightly. She groaned, fighting back against the blood forcing its way from her stomach. It wasn't long but she fell free from the wall, fan lost and pride broken. Using what little energy she had in her body, she flipped around making her back meet the ground for the first time.

She groaned, feeling the vertebrae pop and she was certain she felt her spine break in the impact. She at least had full view of the arena stands. There were five smaller stands with one sitting above the largest stand. The far left stand housed the competitor's box and had the best vantage point of the Kage box which sat atop the largest of the five lower stands. She shook her head, doing her best to drag herself to rest against a wall. Hell will be unleashed soon but a part of her really wanted the ANBU to go up to the wall and remove those kunai. The other part of her knew the truth; if that ANBU or whatever the hell he was, was willing to murder two of his comrades…who knows what kind of civilian death count he found alright.

She clenched her teeth, feeling rage, sadness and a complete mixture of varying emotions. It blended together into a dangerous concoction, scaring her but she couldn't feel anything else. Her baby brother was somewhere in the godforsaken village and her father had made a deal that is going to doom her people. She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists feeling tears well in her eyes. The ANBU destroyed one of her brother's puppets and the ANBU made her lose her fan. What else was in store for her today? She looked up to the stands once more; there were no silhouettes save for the two kunai still embedded within the wall.

Civilians were screaming and shouting already; they'd probably found the two Konoha shinobi, or worse, they found her brother. Pulling herself to lay against a wall, she watched in horror as the two kunai exploded. With a show of fire and smoke twice as large as the ones Naruto used, screams and howls echoed through the air. Debris and people fell to the ground below, crushing and smashing against the streets. Men and women ran, trampling over one another. But once the explosion had cleared, another shook the Kage box, followed by a great purple and menacing box. Temari bit her lip feeling her breath hitch at the sight.

A few shouts and roars were heard and before she knew it; a series of snakes burst through the great walls surrounding Konoha. The plan had changed thanks to that ANBU. Kabuto had spoken of disabling the populace and civilians within a genjutsu, but obviously, that is no longer the plan. She could hear the great summons slither and hiss before their great tails would tear through a few buildings, showering the village and the various alleyways with splinters and debris. Temari held her chest, struggling to catch her breath; the ANBU were the best for a reason after all and she was a mere genin.

Reaching over for a long plank, she pulled herself from the muck. Using the plank as a crutch, the kunoichi hobbled over to the main street, pressing her back against the wall. Slowly, she poked her head out to see the chaos. Shinobi of all three nations were in the heat of battle. A pair of Konoha jōnin were holding off a handful of Oto and Suna shinobi, but even with their skill, the end result would be the same. It wasn't long before the Sand and Sound shinobi cut the pair down. Taking her chance, Temari burst from the alleyway holding her chest.

"Temari-sama!" A Suna chunin called. "Are you alright? What are you doing here? Where is Gaara?"

"He was taken!" Temari roared. "Get me a replacement battle fan, find my brother Kankuro and form a small team so we can go off and find Gaara!"

"But what of the plan?" A jōnin asked with a glare.

Temari glared back. "What of the plan?! Please tell me why all of you are murdering civilians?! The plan was to subdue the civilian populace and defeat the Konoha military, not exterminate the village!"

"Plans change, towel-head." A gruff voice sounded. "Something happened that changed the plans before they could even begin."

An elder Suna jōnin walked up to her with his fists clenched. "We made a pact and pacts need to be respected or we're no better than Iwagakure. So make sure the _monster_ is in position or else you father will learn of this! Platoon, let's move out!"

She watched a group of Suna jōnin take to the air, only for a handful to be picked out of the air by kunai and shuriken. Their assault was suddenly hidden by a powerful explosion of smoke and fire. When the remaining invasion forces wafted and waved the smoke away, they shared a look.

Temari clenched her fists. "And what of you Sound shinobi? Any clever remarks?"

"Our lord will be watching." A Sound jōnin narrowed his eyes. "Any step out of line from you towel-heads and there'll be trouble."

With that, the forces split, leaving a heavy pit in Temari's stomach. She bit her lip drawing blood. Grabbing a spare pair of small battle fans, she flashed a heated glare at the remaining Suna chunin. "Well? Get going!"

* * *

"Kankuro…" Temari's eyes were wide. "Gaara…what are those ANBU doing to him?!"

"I don't know but what can we do?!" He glared. "If you hadn't noticed, the village is falling apart around us; your battle fan has been lost and that bear faced ANBU destroyed my puppet!"

Temari's eyes welled with worried tears. "It doesn't matter…we need to save our baby brother!"

Against the gate, Gaara was stabbed repeatedly, cut and maimed but the demon within him was continuously healing the redhead. Temari couldn't fathom what they were trying to accomplish. It looked like he'd been shouting for ages. His mouth was wide open with blood coursing down his cheeks. She glared, looking back to the arena, cursing the blond Uzumaki. If Naruto hadn't done what he did, Gaara would have destroyed these ANBU and would have been able to continue with the plan. But the cries, the screams that she heard were resonating within her heart.

Without thinking, she burst forward, a pair of small battle fans in her hands. Rolling ahead, she sent a great gust of slicing wind, cutting up a Konoha chunin. She jumped ahead, kicking and slamming her elbow into a pair of Konoha shinobi. If only she could maintain her assault; she knew she could only hold on to the advantage for so long. They were surprised, but after her first flurry of attacks, they were no longer off guard and they were no longer unarmed. Within seconds, swords, knives and shuriken were drawn and armed. They stared at her with dark eyes and dark intentions burning in their visage.

 _This is it…_ Temari backed away. _They're going to kill me…I have no chance against this many ANBU…_

They cocked their arms back, prepared to strike her down.

She could see the glimmering metal flash towards her.

 _This is it…_

 _They're going to kill me…_

"Gaara!" She cried one last time. "I'm sorry!"

 ** _SPLASH!_**

 _I'm going to die…_

She stood there, arms lax and weapons at her sides.

 _Why am I not on the ground yet?_

Worried and half manic, she opened her eyes to a beautiful surprise.

"GAARA!" Temari's eyes bulged from her head.

Sand had shot out to protect her, absorbing the arsenal of projectiles. The four ANBU that surrounded the redhead were wrapped in sand, buried to their necks. The delirious look on his face was missing, replaced with a worried glare. Tears streamed down his face as the sands crushed the four men surrounding him. Blood and sand sprayed in every direction sending shivers throughout the Konoha ranks remaining. The winds shifted and before long, the sand shifted with it, wrapping around their feet and legs. The remaining Konoha shinobi took off, terrified of what was to come.

"T-Temari…" Gaara's voice was soft and cracked. "I-I…w-what happened?"

"We're getting the hell out of here…" She frowned. "C'mon, Kankuro is on his way."

Gaara shook his head, pressing his hands against her shoulders. "Our father…"

"Who cares about him?!" Temari hissed. "He's the one who put us in this-"

"The ANBU told me things…father is dead…the one who wears his skin is Orochimaru!" Gaara growled. "I…I can think straight now…I can move of my own accord…the beast within is no longer thrashing and I can barely hear him…"

"Gaara…" Temari shook her baby brother. "Snap out of it…"

Gaara's face fell to a more serious disposition. "Temari…I am not up to strength…but we need to move and get the word out or else unnecessary lives will be lost…I can see now…everything is clearer to me…"

"Why do you care about the village and the plan all of a sudden?" Temari's eyes were wide.

Gaara looked to his sister. "I _don't_ care about the village…but _you_ do…we were tricked into coming here…the ANBU stabbed me and beat me demanding that I confirm their suspicions…those ANBU they were different. I watched them cut down a pair of Konoha shinobi in an attempt to rile me."

"Why?!" Temari asked with a glare. "What do these ANBU gain from bringing the demon forth?!"

"I don't know…" Gaara gasped, feeling the wounds steam and burn shut. "But I have to thank the Uzumaki for doing this to me…"

Temari clenched his arm. "The Uzumaki almost killed you!"

"He silenced Shukaku…for good."

With that, he threw his arm over her shoulder as the two took to the air. Once they landed, they took in the sights. Men and women jumped about, blades clashing and spraying sparks down below. In the air, shinobi were shot down like flies; Konoha or Suna, the distinction made no difference. Temari glared at the Sound shinobi hopping about, looting the dead Suna shinobi or moving to steal glory. None of that mattered right now though; the invasion was doomed from the start. She took to the air, Gaara's sand had formed enough shroud to protect them as they escaped into the village proper.

Once they landed, a series of kunai and shuriken barraged them, clashing with her metal battle-fan frames or absorbed into Gaara's sand wall. Kankuro used his chakra strings to pull debris to him to form his own shielding but the amount was simply horrendous. Temari grew frustrated with the assault and channeled chakra to her fans. With a battle cry that resounded with the winds; she sent a power gust blowing the final barrage back towards the assailants. Little did the woman know, the kunai and shuriken were from the Sound shinobi. Rushing against the rooftop, sliding on a knee using Gaara's sand as a propellant, she landed against the guard-railing of the roof.

The kunai and shuriken struck targets; she just couldn't tell who or where they weapons flew or hit. Across the street a small platoon of Konoha and Suna shinobi clashed on the rooftop, swords, knives and ninjutsu rocked the air, exploding and sending corpses flying back until there were none of them remaining. Their bodies clashed with the edge of the rooftop before sliding free and piling into one area. Temari gritted her teeth at the Sound shinobi placements just adjacent to the four-way crossing. A team of Suna shinobi were struck down all of a sudden catching her attention.

She clenched her teeth, feeling anger grow in her chest. Sound shinobi lurked against the Suna battle lines, encroaching on their progress and in some areas that she could see along the main strip of Konoha, the Oto shinobi were outright betraying the ninja of Sand! Temari's eyes scanned the strip, eyeing the small platoon of Oto ninja awaiting in their pillbox. They had ninjutsu ready and an arsenal of kunai just waiting in reserve. She whipped her head back to call for her brothers only to find that they were already by her side. Their eyes scanned the street for any possible stragglers of the Suna invasion force that were wandering the main strip.

"You saw what I saw?" Temari asked rhetorically. "Sound shinobi…they're as treacherous as those ANBU assumed."

"I could care less about what they do…" Gaara took a deep breath. "But if it helps me continue with this peace of mind…I will help you two dispose of them."

He wrapped his arm over Temari's shoulders and threw his other over Kankuro's. The three nodded as the street fell to silence. All their eyes were planted on the Oto pillbox position. Any wrong move and the Oto shinobi would act on impulse. Given the many corpses of Sound, Sand and Leaf shinobi layering the many streets; these shinobi must be on edge; an edge that the three Sand Siblings were intending to take advantage of. Taking one more moment to examine the street before they made their move; Temari nodded to Kankuro hoping he'd give the okay on his end. The war-painted genin nodded his head as well, channeling chakra one more time for a quick sensory check.

A skirmish had exploded into a full brawl a few blocks away, causing a few of the Oto shinobi stationed in the pillbox to retreat to reinforce the fight. Temari assumed it was to backstab and take out the competition while they could. Grabbing her siblings, they took to the street.

But as they descended; a family burst from the alleyway.

* * *

Naruto's ears perked as he clashed his blade with an Oto shinobi's knife. He bent back, dodging a roundhouse kick and a few punches towards his center mass. The boy's eyes were burning red as Ahri's chakra continued to flow through his coils and veins. He'd created a small pocket of space. Naruto smirked beneath the façade of terror. Channeling chakra to his legs, he exploded forward in a blink of an eye. His knee rammed into the shinobi's chest; Naruto could feel the man's ribs and sternum shatter from the pressure. As the man flew back, Naruto drew his new favorite weapon and bashed a few kunai and shuriken out of the way.

 _Ahri…_ Naruto breathed heavily. _Despite being a clone…I have to say, your chakra is really something else._

"What do you mean by that?" Ahri raised a brow.

 _My senses are increased; my sight, smell, hearing and perception has been amplified tenfold; I feel unbelievably strong…_ Naruto smiled. _I feel like I can do so much more…_

"I believe it's time to put that belief to practice…" Ahri narrowed her eyes. "The one tailed beast is just a few blocks away."

 _Gaara?_ Naruto gave the fox within him an estranged look. _What is he doing that far from the arena?_

"I'd say he never even made it to the clinic." She scowled. "It looks like he and his siblings are trying to escape and leave. I can sense their chakra heading towards one of the main gates."

 _What do I do?_ Naruto asked.

"I don't know." She responded honestly. "I still want that conversation with the beast…this could be our first step to apprehending that bastard Kurama."

 _Whatever you say…_ Naruto was about to take off again but froze in his steps. _Have you figured out what's wrong with my arm? If you haven't that's fine…the chakra I'm using has made significant strides at calming the shaking. I don't know…it feels…different._

"Just side effects; now go!"

With that; the conversation was cut short, leaving Naruto to his own devices. Channeling chakra to his legs, he shot off into the air, landing on a rooftop. The clone stared at the destruction of the village feeling his heart wrench at the chaos. The snakes were in fact, not banded together, but were beginning to split off to cause more wreckage throughout the suburban and business districts of the village. Smoke and debris shot into the air as they slithered about. Fire techniques, lightning techniques, earth techniques and all the weapons they could throw; not a single thing worked. If anything, every time the shinobi of his beloved home tried to disable or kill one of the behemoths, it only aggravated the creatures even further causing more destruction.

He grunted, rising to his feet, sword in hand and chakra still burning his coils. He closed his eyes and found himself in his mindscape. The clone stared at Ahri blowing her nails and leaning against a wall with an aloof expression across her face. As the sounds of battle came to a shuddering halt and the fights slowed with time, the Uzumaki pressed his hand against the metal bars. His anger piqued and grew as the images of the invaders flashed through his mind. Suddenly, Ahri shot to the ground, blood-red-orange chakra launched from her body and flowed into his stomach. She roared out to him to stop, giving many reasons with each dripping with truth, but Naruto didn't listen and continued siphoning her power into his body.

Springing his eyes open, the powerful chakra his original had foregone and left behind, rushed through the clone's body. His once cerulean eyes now exploded with fire and a vibrant red. The round pupil had elongated into single vertical slits. His canine teeth elongated and his hair grew wild with the blowing winds. The blue chakra that radiated from his kunai sword darkened, bearing the same red-orange color as Ahri's beast chakra. Roof tiles cracked and snapped from their placements and began to float before disintegrating as it came into contact with the overflowing chakra.

He took a deep breath, taking in the rough scent of blood, fire and smoke. It tickled his lungs as the chakra tickled his muscles. He clenched his teeth, feeling his whisker marks burn in contact with the bubbling chakra. Slowly but surely, the power residing within Ahri had finally encased the shadow clone in a glowing chakra cloak. Taking heaving breaths, the boy relished as his bangs rose to create horns that in turn became the chakra cloak's fox ears. He hunched forward as a tail of chakra rose from the base of his spine. Time was still frozen for him, allowing him to visualize every possible point of attack. He shuddered as the radioactive chakra burned against his bare skin.

"Naruto!" Ahri shouted from within. "Stop taking the chakra! You don't know the repercussions of entering the Bijuu cloak this soon!"

The clone winced, feeling the power burn against his bones and muscles. "I don't know…but I need to do something…the Boss and Sasuke are too busy fighting in the stands trying to protect the civilians…"

"I get that, but you cannot use chakra like this!" Ahri pleaded. "Any more and you'll end up hurting your own people in the process! Just stay calm, you don't need this much chakra!"

The clone's eyes fell as the color red color slightly receded. "I need more power to win…the Boss is off still fighting…I am just a clone but I am still Naruto…I need to protect our home and I need all the power I can control to achieve that goal."

"Then listen to me." Ahri calmed. "This chakra is too strong for you, hell at times it's too strong for me and I've had it for more than eighty years…Naruto…just calm down. If you dispel, who is left to continue defending the streets while Naruto is off in the arena trying to direct civilians and fight the Suna/Sound invasion?"

The clone sighed softly, pressing his hands against his knees. But as the chakra cloak began to recede, all that remained were great whiskers and blood red eyes. From his chakra, he sensed a massive cast of men and women, shinobi or otherwise. They were running and fighting, each and every flame of chakra. No two flames were alike but among the great inferno he could sense, there was but one that had two flames burning within. One flame was great and blue, flickering and steadily gaining size, while the second was a dark and malicious fire, burning with a terrifying aura. Unlike the first though; while it felt more powerful, it looked and seemed so weak. Examining the flame further, he could see a tiny collection of characters glowing upon the body of the flame.

The clone's blood-red eyes widened at what he saw. "Wait…Gaara!"

He zipped forward, ending his conversation with Ahri. He dashed through Sound and Sand positions and even blasted through a large skirmish between the defenders and assailants. With the amount of Ahri's chakra evaporating off of his legs and arms, he appeared just above the Sand Siblings. Gaara was struggling to stand and was using his elder siblings as crutches. They were yelling and calling out to various men and women dressed in tan flak jackets. Before Naruto could call out to the wounded Jinchuriki, something great and powerful arrived. Something far more terrifying than the great malicious barrier that cut off the Kage and the rest of the village.

The Suna trio took off to the street, while Naruto struggled to come to terms. He looked to Ahri, wondering if it was her doing, but given her confused and rather worried look herself, didn't sit well with the shadow clone. He held his chest feeling the energy press against him like a pressure cooker. He fell to his knees, watching the flames disappear beneath the great fire that had turned into an inferno. It was purple, as opposed to the overwhelming blue. It was far more malicious than that of the tailed beast chakra he channeled and that the Ichibi. He finally steeled his resolve and took off ready to fight the being, whomever it was.

Just as he came to, the image before him send shivers up and down his spine.

* * *

Gaara, Temari and Kankuro jumped from the rooftop, prepared to assault the Sound emplacement from the cover of the street's debris. But before their feet in the ground, a family of three burst from the alleyway in front of them. The shinobi crashed into the civilians, breaking their momentum and plans. They rolled about screaming and shouting in pain. But the mother howled when Gaara was practically rammed into her side. Her child shot from her arms and into the air. The redhead looked over to his siblings, trying to regain their bearings and looked to see the father barely conscious. But when he looked to the mother, his heart nearly stopped.

She looked past him, almost completely unaware of his presence. With time slowing down, he had to make a choice. He whipped his head around, finding his thoughts with pure serenity and peace of mind. The baby wrapped in a shawl fell from the air at a dangerously quick pace and the rest of them were struggling to gather their wits. Across the street, the Sound shinobi had become aware of their presence thanks to their shouts and botched landings. Kunai were in their hands as their eyes planted with the civilians and his siblings. Chakra was barely under his control thanks to the seal Naruto had placed on him.

He could feel the chakra churning within him but he couldn't bring it forth. Teal eyes whipped back and forth. His sister was wiping dust and dirt from her shoulders, all the while trying to find the small battle fans. Kankuro was shaking his head after hitting the ground in an awkward angle after colliding with the civilian man. Turning his sight along, the baby was falling and was getting dangerously close to being turned into a puddle of mush. He made his choice but he just couldn't make it come to fruition. The redhead growled and channeled all the chakra he could, churning it within his stomach and prepared to force it through the seal. He needed to break it; he needed to!

But before the sands could merge and move in to catch the baby and create a wall to protect the group, Kankuro's chakra strings came to life, latching onto the falling infant. Temari burst forward, blasting through hand seals. The civilians were screaming, tears streamed down their faces as they backed away from the Sand Siblings. Kankuro pulled on the chakra strings, bringing the little baby to his arms. Channeling what little chakra he had left, strings had latched onto the mother and father's limbs. Controlling them, he brought them along to the adjacent alleyway, keeping them safe and protected from the chaos that was about to ensue.

"Go!" Gaara yelled, catching the civilian's attention.

They looked to Temari as she finished her seal pattern. Great gusts of wind shot from her mouth and smashed against the incoming projectiles, sending them back at the Sound shinobi. Gaara roared as a kunai managed to bypass Temari's retaliation. The blade stabbed into his shoulder, reminding him of the pain the ANBU had done to him not too long before.

"Look, I don't know where you two are trying to go in the middle of all of this, but get the hell out of here." Kankuro gave the two civilians a look. "It's too dangerous and stay to the alleyways!"

"I-I…" The man gave the cat-suit wearing shinobi a look. "Thank you, Suna-san."

"Thank you!" The woman shouted as they took off through the darkness of the alleyway.

The boy turned and burst into the street, chakra strings latching onto various pieces of debris, rocks, and concrete and even rebar. Flipping, with all his strength in his arms and chakra, he launched the new weapons into the Sound emplacement, collapsing the second floor into the first floor, killing and maiming the Oto shinobi that terrorized the strip. Temari gasped, trying to collect her breath. She turned to her siblings with a struggling smile but that smile dropped immediately.

"You three are just as confusing as the first day we met." Naruto glared. "First your people throw my village to the fires and then suddenly, you change your minds in the middle of the battle?! Who the fuck do any of you think you are?! Do you honestly think that saving civilian family rights the wrongs you Sand freaks had done?!"

Orange chakra exploded from his body, much like fire burning from his frame. "You…you…"

Gaara looked at Naruto with wide eyes and immediately looked to his brother and sister, clenching his fists. Sand began to wisp in the wind, gathering around his fists.

"No…" Naruto's eyes widened as well. The flaming chakra came to a halt and receded to his body, leaving blood-red eyes and greatly defined whiskers.

"Gaara-kun." A hiss-like voice echoed from behind Naruto. "And the Kyuubi-brat. Hello, Naruto~"

" **Orochimaru**."

* * *

 **Okay, to explain Gaara's change of demeanor  
** **I wanted to let it build up to the point of explanation from Ahri or maybe even Jiraiya  
but I know a lot of people won't be able to wait and some will probably insulte me with asinine assumptions  
**

 **So if Mokuton is known for calming down demonic chakra, and the Adamantine Sealing Chains  
are used to calm demonic chakra; I've come to the assumption that they have the same effects  
both subdue darkness and hatred in the best way possible, they are unmatched in ninjutsu  
So using that information; putting two and two together; Naruto's Seal cut off Shukaku from  
messing with Gaara and even managed to calm Gaara's insomniac-traumatized mind**

 **So YES; Naruto WILL be getting the Adamantine Sealing Chains, he WILL know fuinjutsu and Uzumaki stuff  
I actually have a whole Uzumaki arc on the drawing board for future, future chapters  
(If it wasn't obvious enough yet; what Ahri was talking about was the Adamantntine Sealing Chains that were used on her  
difference between what she taught Naruto and what was used; Naruto's seal didn't have chains)**

 **So Review!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	7. Plans Gone Awry

**I've had incredible amounts of muse lately  
** **So I do hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Just in case y'all forgot, here are the techniques Ahri taught Naruto:  
1) the Orb of Deception: He's supposed to throw it (He can only do one meter before it dispels and collapses on itself) and make it come back to him  
so far, he's only used it to create a rudimentary version of the Rasengan  
2) Charm: He hasn't used it at all because he hates the fact that he has to blow kisses at people, and the debacle at the hot springs  
3) Fox Fire: Basically Pakura's Shakuton, just a lot more dangerous and more accurate  
4) Spirit Rush: Basically Hiraishin minus the flash and the kunai and seals required  
(And after each rush is made, three bolts of fire are released that act similar to Fox Fire without the orbiting feature)**

 **So YAH! I apologize again for the epicly long chapter  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Plans Gone Awry**

 _'Feel the blood rush._

 _Relish in the heat of battle._

 _Revel in the stress and the adrenaline._

 _The flow of conflict and the burning sensation of pain._

 _Ahri…remember…it's too late for mercy…'_

 _Don't worry, Seonsaeng. I won't forget._

 _'When you enter the real world, people will use you._

 _People will take advantage of you._

 _Humanity will not trust you._

 _But I will. I always will.'_

 _I know you will Seonsaeng…_

 _'When I die…_

 _When the breath leaves my lungs…_

 _When I leave you alone in this world…_

 _Remember me…_

 _Remember me in the heat of battle…_

 _Remember me when your blood rushes…_

 _Remember me when pain explodes spreading through your nerves…'_

 _Seonsaeng…I will never forget you._

Ahri sat silently, hearing the invasion roar. Excitement and honest reminisce started in her heart and before long, spread throughout her body. The shouts, the blood and the chaos was all too familiar to what she and her master had been through before…before _it_ happened. She clenched her fists feeling bubbling heat grow in her clenched fists. Chakra had begun to manifest around her, covering her in a chakra cloak of her own, writhing and twisting with each fluctuation of her emotions. The clashing swords and the screams were all too real and sent shivers up and down her spine. Daring not to open her eyes to lose the sight of her past.

After what seemed an eternity of darkness, she finally decided to open her eyes. With the visions of the past disappearing back to the deepest and darkest recesses of her mind's eye, the Gumiho watched the invasion from within her cage, full intent on spreading her chakra evenly. Naruto reminded her so much of her master, but damn the troublesome fool and his equally troublesome clones. Each one was siphoning her power, and while near infinite, the amount of clones and the amount they were taking was beginning to become a strain. Cross-legged in a meditative stance, the woman watched and waited for the opportune moment to speak up. As it was, the only things Naruto needed to hear were words of advice.

In the midst of the destruction and chaos, she was amazed at how quickly her _lovely_ container thought and moved. While she, Jiraiya and Asuma trained him in almost every aspect of shinobi skills, the thought of teaching him how to handle himself in war was never thought of or brought up. To see how he acted and reacted really impressed her, almost comparable to her former master and his skills. Be it combat or simple thinking of how he was going to handle himself, spoke volumes of how much the boy had grown in the previous month. While Naruto had a hell of a long way to go before being even considered a comparison, he was making great strides. Ahri smiled, giving herself a mental pat on the back.

 _When we make it out of this clusterfuck, I intend to get his head on straight._ She took slow and deep breaths. _Fuinjutsu and ninjutsu will have to be his focus after this._

* * *

"Gaara-kun." A hiss-like voice echoed from behind Naruto. "And the Kyuubi-brat. Hello, Naruto~"

" **Orochimaru**." Naruto growled. " **You sorry sack of waste!** "

Naruto whipped his head around to face the man of his nightmares. He stood tall and confidently with long black hair flowing behind his back in the winds of battle. Around his waist a great purple rope was tied with a large bow in the back. But it was what his face wore that really terrified Naruto; it was the same sickening smile that Orochimaru held when he sealed Naruto's power in the Forest of Death; the same face he wore when he branded Sasuke with the cursed mark. He could barely contain his rage and his growing anger. Clenching his fists and practically shaking in his shinobi sandals, Naruto glared daggers and lightning at the Snake Sannin.

Before the pale-faced man could respond, Naruto appeared before him. Instincts awoken, the two clash with sparks and wind shooting off of their bodies. The boy's kunai sword had caught against another, grating their blades and slowly losing against the wondrous masterwork the Snake had in his possession. The two held steady in a dead-lock of crossed swords. For what seemed liked forever for the young genin, the two quickly shot back in a shower of sparks. Much to Orochimaru's surprise, in Naruto's wake, a pair of kunai already strapped with explosive tags remained. Shaking his head, the Sannin knew this was coming but to see it in action really surprised – and impressed him. Within seconds, the pair exploded, sending the Snake back a few meters with smoke trailing off of his body.

Suddenly, a battle cry erupted from above. Dropping the kunai sword he'd stolen, he quickly dislocated his jaw. Twisting his head to face the incoming genin, he regurgitated a snake which in turn threw up a beautiful blade. With little time left he drew his sword, adopting a kenjutsu stance. Coming from the smoke and debris of the rooftops, a pair of clones were on their way, swords in hand and kunai in their pouches, undoubtedly strapped and laced with explosive tags. After the boy's show in the arena, Orochimaru wasn't taking any chances. Without hesitation, he swung up, popping a clone from existence, leaving his right flank open. When the second clone arrived, the two burst into a flurry of attacks, dodging, parrying and lunging. But of course, Naruto was but a mere genin and had never used a sword in his life. As they clashed, Orochimaru had already managed a pattern and prepared to strike the boy.

He blocked an incoming slash and quickly redirected the Uzumaki's weight, leaving the genin open for attack. The two made eye contact for but a split second. Orochimaru raised his blade over his head prepared to strike the blond down. As he moved, everything came to a shuddering halt for the child among them. Chakra began to bubble around him before clicking and igniting into a beautiful shroud-like fire. Shooting his right hand to his chest, he threw up a half-ram hand seal. Feeding off of the chakra surrounding him, four great balls of blood-red fire were birthed.

As if the world acted in slow motion, Orochimaru could feel his wits leave him. The speed of this boy was unmatched save for one man. **_That_** man. Channeling chakra through his body, he dodged the first ball of fire, letting it plow through the great cloud of smoke behind him. The second ball of fire went low, taking one of his legs from beneath him. He stumbled greatly, barely managing to keep his balance. Shooting his arm around, his Kusanagi was drawn, broadside meeting the third ball, instead of the edge. The world still in slow motion, the third arrived as he'd expected. Once the mote smashed into his blade, sound, heat and pain all rushed in for the two combatants.

With smoke billowing off of their bodies, Naruto and Orochimaru were sent flying from each other. Landing a few meters away from the Sannin, the boy huffed, barely managing to glare at the last mote orbiting his body. The Sannin on the other hand, pat himself down once more, keeping up the façade. Naruto could tell that the man was beginning to lose his control of the fight, obviously, Orochimaru hadn't faced an opponent like he. As long as he kept his underhand attacks and rather unorthodox strategy, the boy felt he could keep the Sannin on the ropes until real reinforcements arrived. With chaos rushing into their ears, the two dashed forward once again, chakra burning off of their blades.

First instinct was to duck then slash, but Naruto was feeling confident. Orochi lunged forward as well, thoughts landing on a similar path. With the help of the chakra burning within him, Naruto's thoughts were clear and his vision was undeterred. Within seconds, they were mere centimeters from each other. He could sense the danger of the Kusanagi and he could even feel Orochi's gaze wander to his abdomen. It was then that he noticed; the man was as much a snake in combat as we was when he retreated. Naruto cursed himself for getting too confident with his abilities.

It seemed that Orochimaru held the same ideas of channeling chakra to increase his overall perception. Being that as it may, he was already close to becoming a Sennin like his overly-rambunctious idiot of a former teammate. Feeling the blond come mere centimeters sent shivers up and down the Snake's spine. There was only one man in Konoha who could match such speed; there was only ONE man in Konoha who could possibly move as swiftly as the child before him. After all, Orochimaru unfortunately lost the title of Hokage to the wretched man. Now with the world once more in slow motion, the two shared a quick glance again, this time, their eyes trailed sizing the opposition. Blue eyes met snake-like orbs filled with malice.

"This ends now."

Almost like a flash, the Snake's arm shot out, bashing into Naruto's gut. The boy flew back plowing through an adjacent wall, tearing it down completely. He struggled, feeling heat and agony unlike any other radiate from his abdomen. Barely able to keep conscious, he swung his arms around, catching onto tabletops and restaurant seats. Leaning upon them with anger growing in his chest, chakra returned to his body almost as if the depleting reserves would be replenished forever. He gasped slightly, unable to find his kunai sword. Oh well, the boy hobbled forward, full-intent on stopping Orochimaru from undoing the seal on Gaara. But he had to do what he can to hold off the Sannin – at least until the Boss was ready to join him.

Naruto fought through the smoke and debris, wafting through the giant cloud. Coughing slightly feeling cracked ribs and internal bruises heal. His shattered knee and twisted ankle reformed with a warm feeling remaining in the wake. Disbelief – for the first time – flowed through his thoughts. He was facing off against one of the most legendary shinobi in history, and he was understandably barely able to hold off the man. Naruto clenched his teeth. It was painfully obvious that Orochimaru was underestimating him and holding back a substantial amount of his true power. He was terrified of what might come if he really forced that side of the snake free.

 _That doesn't matter right now…_ He chided. _I need to fight the damn Snake like I fought Gaara, Neji and Shikamaru! I can't let him win this, skills, titles and status be damned!_

Feeling energy once more, the shadow clone took to the air, bursting through the cloud of smoke. Now taking a moment to collect information around the street, the world came to an indefinite halt – all sound and movement seemed to freeze. From his vantage point in the air, he could see almost twenty meters separated Orochimaru from the Sand Siblings. Already, the Sannin had started his assault. Snakes spread from his left arm and were clashing with the pieces of debris that Kankuro had managed to bring up. His right arm was occupied with sending a fire technique to combat Temari's wind affinity. Surrounding the group in the street on either side, large buildings had managed to stay standing despite the destruction of the village.

There were four rooftops that really seemed like good striking positions. There were two that stood like a gift from the gods on either side of Orochimaru. As the world stood frozen before him, his plans began to visualize. Action had begun again, albeit slower than normal time. A pair of shadow clones covered in a dim green aura took off towards the two rooftops, leaving a soft colored afterglow trailing after their wake. Below, Orochimaru's snakes had destroyed one of Kankuro's debris shields and Temari's wind attack had been eaten by flames. The kunoichi in question was struggling to hold off the incoming inferno, leaving her open to the rest of the Snake's fire technique.

Once the clones reached their positions, they raised their hands with their kunai drawn and prepared with explosive tags strapped to the handles. Immediately, all movements came to a halt once more with Naruto examining the immediate possibilities. There were only a few choices he had to deal with the issue at hand. The majority of the said few, took too much time. Mere seconds count the most in the heat of battle. Remembering how fast Haku moved in his battle with the hunter Nin. Orochimaru is in an entirely different class – if being a Sannin is anything to merit. If Naruto was being honest, the Snake could wipe the floor with both Zabuza and Haku.

Shaking his head, he examined the battlefield. Orochimaru was continuously underestimating him if the Snake thought he was down for the count. Naruto glared at the growing ball of fire heading for Temari's face and took into consideration that if he used powerful explosives, to deter the man's attacks, he could risk getting rid of Gaara's siblings and in turn leave the Jinchuriki open for assault. Judging by the Snake's ability to extend his limbs, neck and basically every part of his body; the instant his siblings were out of the picture, it would be like signing Gaara's death certificate – and the village's. But a thought came to his mind.

 _Asuma-sensei once used his knuckle-blades to cut through rocks like a fucking boss._ Naruto reminisced. _That's it! I'll just channel wind into the kunai and cut through the fire! I'm not entirely good at it yet, but…oh…this is gonna be good._

* * *

Throwing his arms together, a pair of clones exploded covering him in smoke. Once the smoke cleared, two clones rushed against the rooftops, covering distance at an exceptional rate. It was so fast, Orochimaru almost didn't catch him. _Almost._ Once time rushed in – sounds, taste and smell altogether – the flames grew and shot for the Sand Kunoichi who knew she was way past pushing her limits. The great piece of debris was powdered by Orochimaru's giant snakes slithering from his sleeves. But like most military or battle plans, there were undefined factors that almost seem improbably but in hindsight a foolish foresight. Almost like an unidentified wild card from what Naruto originally imagined, Gaara's sand shot up protecting Temari and Kankuro, reinforcing his wall of debris.

The blond Suna kunoichi jumped, channeling chakra into her fans and legs. Taking to the air, she sent a great wall of blade-like gusts of wind towards the unsuspecting Sannin. While he had to admit, the Sand Siblings caught the upper-hand on him, for only a mere moment, it was a small mistake that could be easily rectified. Pulling snakes back into his sleeve, he sped through hand seals that moved faster than the winds themselves. Once he came to his final seal, a small _click_ was heard. As if time slowed just enough, he noticed the already burning explosive tag attached to a kunai below his legs. With eyes as wide as plates, the Sannin glared at the Naruto shadow clone standing on the rooftop with a cheeky expression on its face.

"Fuck-!"

* * *

Orochimaru always prided himself in being calm, collected and all-round, a very thoughtful man. He'd never once lost his cool and always retained the façade of control – even when he knew his odds were very much _not_ in his favor. When his old sensei appeared with a pair of ANBU to arrest him, the snake knew not of their intentions, hell he didn't even know they were coming. The secret to his success, lied in a few lies sprinkled with half-truths and overbearing confidence. It always got him what he wanted, especially when he talked out of his ass. Bullshit was the best way to manipulate people after all. He prided himself in knowing and assessing the situations he found himself in, never taking a moment, a breath – even a hair – for granted.

But for some reason, he was absolutely losing his shit.

 _HOW?! How?! How am I unable to kill this **insufferable little child**?!_ Orochimaru roared within the recesses of his mind. _I a shadow clone of a Sannin, can't defeat a little boy?! What an embarrassing farce this fight has become! Give me a few moments of reprise to accomplish what I've come here to do, **damn you**! If I can't get the damn Shukaku free, my original won't be able to hold Konoha once he kills Sarutobi._

 _But it would be a whole lot easier if this **FUCKING CHILD** would just lay over and **die**!_ Orochimaru dodged an incoming kunai. **_Another_** _fucking explosive tag?!_

He ducked, shooting forward, turning his body into a slithering snake. The kunai roared out with a powerful screech. The Sannin cringed at the decibel and even reverted back to a man unable to deal with the vibrations in the winds. He howled against the powerful ring. As he laid with hands to his ears, before him, Temari, Kankuro and even Gaara were struggling to deal with the pitch. He turned back to the wake of the explosion, there was only one conclusion – Naruto had somehow figured out how to manipulate the winds and create sound from attacks, almost like a bastardized version of the sound ninjutsu his shinobi employ. It made sense. He was adept in using a wind-enhanced sword along with ninjutsu.

Up on the rooftops though – Orochimaru was giving the poor boy too much credit. Within the recesses of his mind, Naruto was practically jumping and shouting. _It worked! It fucking worked Ahri!_

"Hell yeah!" Ahri cheered with him. "I have to commend you though; my own master never thought of something like that!"

 _Now **that's** a compliment!_

Returning to the fight below, Naruto channeled chakra into his arm, cocking the limb back. A handful of shuriken were resting against the webs between his fingers. Eyeing the writhing Sannin, he and his clone threw their arsenal. The projectiles whistled through the air and a nice number even managed to riddle the man below. Once the ringing had died down, the four combatants were beginning to recuperate. Gaara's sand rose, lifting Kankuro and Temari to their feet, prepared to take on the snake. But as they prepared to move in on the opportunity, the two clones appeared.

In their hands, kunai and shuriken already wielded. Orochimaru struggled to his feet, a glare on his face and chakra rolling off of his body. The amount of Killing Intent was unbelievable. Gaara's own felt like a child's temper tantrum compared to this! The snake Sannin rose to his feet, hair disheveled and slightly out of place and clothes matted and slightly burned. He looked enraged but at the same time doing his best to find serenity. His heart raced and his anger pumped through his bloodstream making chakra fluctuate throughout his body. Being a shadow clone the Sannin created from a special ninjutsu, the man had more than just half of his original's chakra – the clone practically had separate chakra system with replenishing chakra reserves. While it lacked the boons from a normal shadow clone like memory retention, it had its own perks that Orochimaru deemed perfection.

"Any more tricks up your sleeve, **boy**?" Orochimaru's voice was dark and menacing. Purple and black chakra rolled off of the clones back. "I assure you, Gaara-kun. When I dispose of this pest, you and your towel-headed people will be destroyed. Enjoy your final breaths."

"Well Orochimaru…" Naruto took a deep breath. "I have just one trick up my sleeve!"

Holding out his right hand, an Orb of Deception appeared, glowing and coalescing into a gorgeous sphere of fiery chakra. A few smaller motes of blue fire orbited around the large sphere. Orochimaru's face spoke more than any condescending remark he could muster behind the confident façade. Channeling his chakra in a way similar to the way he did in his fight against Neji and Gaara, the small motes rushed together, merging and using their own orbits to create differing rotations within the central orb. Soon enough the glowing and raging fire surrounding the orb was replaced with a more concentrated aura with the flame receding to the center of the volatile sphere.

The power was pressing against his palm, tearing and rushing against his already peeling flesh. He took deep breaths, trying to channel the chakra. It was difficult to maintain the rotations within, but he had to do it. He had to protect his village and end the treacherous travesty before him. Gaara and his siblings looked to him with surprise that he stood between them and the almighty. Naruto couldn't let him fall into Orochimaru's hands and he would be damned if he let the snake destroy his home further!

"Eat this you bastard!"

Naruto sped forward, wind and dust blowing off of his body. Orochimaru had little time to react, after all, his mind was reeling from how quickly the boy created a rasengan! This was all the proof he needed for his hypothesis. This confirmed his suspicions and definitely spoke volumes. The blond hair, the annoyingly optimistic and patriotic speeches. He is **_his_** son. There was no other explanation – he **had** to be **_his_** son. Preparing for the worst, the rasengan Naruto managed was about a whole rasengan larger than **_his_**. Once the attack met his flesh, Orochimaru tried his best to bite back the scream growing in his lungs.

The rasengan proved more vicious than the Snake remembered. It shredded through his clothes, revealing the introduction of wind chakra into the mix. It slowly disintegrated the remains of the cloth protecting his abdomen revealing the standard shinobi iron mesh shirts that protect against slashes, most stabs and even ninjutsu. But even then, such a thing was like paper to a deluge when it went against the rasengan. Naruto roared, crying out his rage and anger as he pushed the spinning ball of death into Orochimaru's stomach. The boy cried out, channeling more wind chakra into the monstrosity, slashing and maiming the Sannin.

Blood rushed from the revealed organs, spraying the Uzumaki and the ground below. Naruto smiled through clenched teeth and elongated canines. His whiskers grew darker as his blood-red eyes returned full force. Pushing the last of the attack into the snake, he released a final roar as the man exploded back, a trail of blood in his wake. Chakra and dust surrounding Naruto as he watched the Sannin fly outwards creating a clear tunnel through the gathered smoke and dust. He smiled softly, feeling chakra burn in his arms and legs. He groaned as the bubbling red cloak arrived to heal his wounds. Despite the painful radioactivity, he relished in how good it felt to feel healed.

He took deep breaths, groaning slightly as the memories of the second clone finally arrived. He turned back to find the Sand Siblings in awe of what they'd seen along with a small cloud of shadow clone smoke wafting away. He took a deep breath and headed towards the Sand Trio, prepared to talk and get all the information out of them. After all, there had to be a bloody reason for their need to run. There had to be a reason for their retreat. He limped along, bubbling chakra beginning to recede, his hair fell against his face slick with sweat and teeth retracted to their normal size. His whiskers lost their definition and returned to being seemingly arbitrary lines across his cheeks. But the most definite change, his blood red orbs returned to their calm cerulean.

"Now…" Naruto began. "Explain all that's happening here. You three are running for some reason and I need to know why! I almost died fighting a Sannin for crying out loud."

"We are being betrayed." Temari started. "Our father, the Kazekage, is not who everyone thinks he is. Orochimaru, the man you just fought, killed our father and wore his skin playing both factions of the invasion. This was all his plan."

"Do you not know how coincidental that all seems?" Naruto asked. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Would you go against your Kage or hell, your father's direct orders?" Temari asked with a glare.

"If it brought war?" Naruto nodded his head. "Yes. And if I had a father, I would go against it too. But…I see what you mean…fuck. So you're telling me that none of this was supposed to happen? Are you telling me…I killed men and women who were tricked, made to believe in a false ideal?! T-That…I…"

"If anything we were going to come here for a simple Chunin Exam." Kankuro frowned. "But then the Sound arrived and told our father everything he wanted to hear. Power and prestige and a way to prove our strength against Iwagakure…he played my father and…I'm certain he found out about Orochimaru's plans. It could be the only reason the snake killed him."

" _Now, now…Kankuro-kun~._ " A slithering voice appeared. "And you _Temari-chan~_ …you're giving away free information to the enemy. Such treachery cannot be forgiven."

"H-How…?" Naruto looked at the Sannin with wide eyes. "Y-You're supposed to be dead!"

"If I were dead, I would have dispelled by now." The Snake leered with his tongue hanging free.

Naruto's heart dropped. _A Shadow Clone?!_ "HOW?!"

"Your knowledge in fuinjutsu is astounding for someone of your age." Orochimaru smirked, coughing up the same snake once more. He pulled against the sword, removing it from the snake's throat. "But after all…it is your **heritage**."

The boy backed away. "W-What are you talking about?!"

"Oh?" Orochimaru smiled with a sickening twist. "You're telling me, old man Sarutobi didn't deem you ready enough to know of your family; your Clan, your blood?"

 _It's time to play a new angle._ Orochimaru smirked.

"How would you know?!" Naruto roared back. "How would you know anything about me or my parents?!"

"I used to be a shinobi of Konoha myself, young child. For many years at that." Orochimaru hobbled forward, abdomen ripped open. Slowly but surely, the wounds that would have killed a normal man began to heal, merging together. "I knew things and I knew people…"

"Naruto!" Ahri shouted from within. "Don't listen to him! He's trying to play you! He's-"

 _Ahri…_ Naruto's heart was racing, punching against his chest.

"Naruto!" Ahri roared this time. "You're letting your guard down! Snap out of it!"

"Naruto-!"

* * *

Shutting the delirious fox within, he turned his attention to the snake Sannin. "Y-You know who my parents are…?"

 _Oh, I've hit a soft spot._ Orochimaru inwardly smirked at his play. _I'll give him the information he wants, then I'll dispose of the useless cretin and release the Ichibi. Once the beast is free, there is no possible way that sorry child will ever make use of this information. After all, he'll be a dead corpse like his mother and father! HAHAHAHA!_

"Of course I do…Naruto-kun~" Orochimaru's words slithered like poison.

Gaara looked to the blond boy in front of him, he saw someone weak and vulnerable, someone that didn't seem like the boy who defeated him and saved his sanity. Barely able to contain his raging heart, Naruto dropped his arms to his sides, kunai slipping from his grasp. Gaara couldn't even begin to imagine what the blond was thinking, but they were going to die if he didn't snap out of it.

"W-Who were t-they?" Naruto asked almost yearning.

But before he could do anything, Orochimaru's blade shot forward, extending from the crossguard tsuba "Shouldn't it be obvious? Your father is none other than the Yondaime Hokage; the very one who sealed that monster into your stomach!"

 _No…_

Time slowed.

 _It can't be…_

Gaara's sand slithered along, trying to capture the incoming blade.

 _H-He…I…_

Temari drew chakra into her battle fans, preparing to strike out.

 _M-My Father…is…_

Kankuro's chakra strings released the debris protecting them.

 _But…it can't…be…_

The blade was closing distance.

 _Why…? Why did…_

Gaara roared, throwing his arms up.

 _Why…? Why didn't…_

Kankuro's chakra strings latched onto the frozen shinobi.

 _Why didn't **anyone tell me?!**_

Blood red chakra exploded out of his body, creating a powerful shield of chakra and wind. Kankuro and Temari were blown back in the sudden intrusion. Gaara's sand moved quickly, catching his siblings before they rolled through the debris ridden strip of Konoha. In the chaos, Gaara's growing wall of sand was released, blowing into the wind like dust. With eyes as wide as plates, he watched as the Snake's blade pierced the Uzumaki like a stuck pig. The chakra quickly receded and shot into his stomach. Orochimaru's blade shrunk as he moved closer to the dying clone. But once they met face to face, the Snake chided, complaining that he didn't see the truth before. If only the conclusion had come sooner, he would have ended this fight ages ago.

Naruto looked at him with fear in his eyes. Orochimaru met them with his own shimmering orbs of deceit. "How're you feeling Naruto-kun? Feel elated? Feel relieved?"

"No…" The boy managed to choke out. "How about…you? Surprised? Worried?"

Orochimaru backed away, realizing something was wrong. _There is no blood._

"Gaara! Create a wall of sand! NOW!" Naruto roared.

Orochimaru looked behind the Uzumaki to see Gaara and his siblings beginning to entrench themselves. "A simple wall of sand won't do anything against my Kusanagi."

"I know that…"

Suddenly, Naruto ripped his jacket open revealing practically an entire roll of explosive tags strapped to his chest. And each tag was already burning! Orochimaru's eyes bugged for a moment and he quickly fled the scene. He ran, jumping and weaving between falling debris, doing what he can to escape the laced child. He was still in range when the tags burned out.

* * *

Naruto groaned, holding his head.

Memories of a certain clone rushed into his mind, filling him with unbelievable and almost unbearable information. Thankfully, the combat within the stands was beginning to die down with only a few Sand and Sound shinobi remaining to fight the Konoha resistance. Even with the coming serenity, the memories were rushing through his mind. Unable to take the overload, Naruto was slowly losing his balance and experienced a vicious bout of vertigo. Once the pain had reached its peak, his legs finally gave out as blood coursed from his nostrils like a torrential downpour. Before he could collapse to kiss the floor, Shikamaru caught him with a shadow possession and Sasuke's hand grabbed his shoulder and pushed him forward. Naruto groaned once more, almost as if he was seeing the entire fight between his clone and Orochimaru right before his eyes.

As the fight exploded for his mind's eye to see, a plague of voices, guilt and anger sounded in his ears. The negativity and the pain permeated the air subjugating the young genin beneath its powerful fist. Faceless people whispered about him and faceless people shouted at him in the sudden revelation. All he could hear as the chaos of the village was drowned out were the cries of agony and the cries of hatred pouring his way. As the uproar in his mind continued, something bright happened, searing through the black and purple aura that covered his heart. It was something that he'd never expected in his entire life. The rage and despair the villagers held for him, the disdain and disgust, all fell to deaf ears. The bright light grew into an intense fire, completely drowning out the memories of his past. The purple and black were removed, with a beautiful pristine white in its place.

His father…is the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato…and no one knew. Except for the Hokage! Naruto clenched his fists as a slight darkness began to saturate into the pale aura. Stuck in his reverie, he was frozen in time completely forgetting his friends struggling to keep up with an invasion force that could easily kill them all. Still journeying through the memories, his breath hitched at the sudden realization; his father is the Yondaime Hokage! His father was a hero! His father was _his_ hero! His father…made him a Jinchuriki. Naruto's tears welled in his cerulean blues, threatening to cascade.

His beating heart felt it was preparing to blast off into the moon. It was going too fast and was practically smashing his chest with a jackhammer. He couldn't believe it…but…what Orochimaru said, what the Snake Sannin said…the old man must have known about his heritage, he must know who his mother is too! He must know about his clan! He must know…

Suddenly, a powerful pinching pain shook him from his darkening trance. Sasuke's second chidori was birthed with a few stray sparks of lightning shocking the Uzumaki's bare skin. Shikamaru's shadow possession had been released, giving the orange clad genin full reign to move about. Swinging his kunai sword about sent shivers of excitement through his arms and body. But the instant he fell into an offensive stance (Or at least what he thought was an offence stance), shocking memories of what Temari said to his clone filtered into his mind. _Betrayed…not the Kazekage…Orochimaru…_ He watched worriedly as a pair of Suna shinobi rushed at Kakashi and Gai. The Konoha pair beat the assault back, fighting and cutting at each other with masterful skill.

Looking throughout the battlefield, taking a moment to truly see the battlefield, he could feel his stomach churning. Channeling his chakra to see through the eyes of his remaining shadow clones, the story was the same. Finally taking into consideration Temari's words, they held nothing but the unfortunate and difficult truth.

In the far end of the arena, barely visible to the naked eye, a Suna jōnin was ambushed by a pair of Oto shinobi. The woman was cut down like a cow ready for slaughter. Naruto couldn't help but see the flashes of the Suna shinobi he himself had killed. Clenching his fists, the treachery, the betrayal and the outright lack of honor from the Oto shinobi sickened him. He watched as Sasuke prepared to shoot for a young chunin kunoichi of Suna while Kakashi and Gai prepared to strike down their own enemies. Shikamaru using what chakra he could that stemmed from the powerful soldier pills he'd ingested prior to arriving on the stands, he was about to make a pair of Suna shinobi kill each other.

Ino's body was lying against the shadow master's shoulder, revealing that she had taken over the mind of another shinobi, preparing to strike down a Sand chunin. Sakura had her arm cocked back with a handful of shuriken and kunai prepared. Up ahead, Aoba Yamashiro, the cool jōnin with sunglasses, was about to get gutted by a Sand jōnin. But behind them all, the ninja of Sound were preparing to pick off the stragglers.

Time slowed for him, revealing a three-way brawl. This wasn't an invasion – this was an embarrassment. This was treachery at its finest. This was betrayal of the highest level. He had to do something, he had to think of something! Breath ragged and arms shaking beneath the stress his mind was going through, he brought his right hand to his lips, channeling chakra into his throat. Clenching his teeth, feeling the energy rip at his vocal cords like a sharp cough. Now, no longer was the world still, everyone had begun to move, albeit as slowly as possible. He could barely think with all the chaos, he could barely feel himself thinking in the rush of battle. He needs peace; he needed SOMETHING!

" **EVERYONE!** " Naruto roared, throwing his hand forward. " **JUST FUCKING STOP!** "

A great reddish cloud of menacing smoke shot from his mouth, engulfing the entirety of the stands. The dust, smoke and chakra entered their lungs, and the effects were immediate. Ninjutsu were undone before they could be released. Physical attacks fell short of doing any damage. Men and women, no matter how strong fell lax, with arms against their sides. Ino awoke from her ninjutsu and sat up, sky blue irides looking at Naruto with wide eyes. _Everyone_ was looking at him with wide eyes. Sand shinobi stared at the boy and Leaf shinobi in danger looked at him with pleading expressions.

"Can everyone shut the fuck up for five seconds and let me think?!" He shouted, running his hands through his hair. He only had a minute to say what he needed to say before his charm runs out.

Within his mindscape, Ahri's jaw was practically kissing the floor. _H-He fucking did it without any issues…and his charm isn't a giant pink heart either! H-How in the…?_

"I've learned that my father is the fucking Yondaime! And to think, the man I learned it from just so happens to be Orochimaru!" Naruto roared, garnering a few well-earned wide-eyes. Okay, maybe a lot of wide eyes. "Why is it that my enemies appeal to me more than the people who call me comrade?!"

"H-How did Orochimaru know that information? It's classified!" Kakashi blurted.

Naruto's eyes flashed red. " **YOU KNEW?!** "

"NO!" Naruto ran his hands through his rustled hair, gaining a few more confused looks from the shinobi frozen in their tracks. "That's not important right now! What is, is the bloody truth behind this invasion!"

"W-What would you know?" A Suna shinobi struggled against the charm affect.

"Your Kazekage is dead!" Naruto called. "Orochimaru is wearing his face and lured all of us into a useless and pointless war! His plan was to weaken both of us and let his sound shinobi take the easy pickings! Look around you!"

All heads did their best to fight back against the command but their bodies were moving of their own accord. With scowls and grunts escaping their lips, they turned to face a group of Sound shinobi standing still with a dead Suna shinobi at their feet, freshly killed by the looks of it. The Suna ninja's throat was slit open with blood still squirting from the garish wound. The proof was as clear as day with a great and heavy cloud of embarrassment fell upon the combatants still under Naruto's thrall.

"We can only defeat Orochimaru in time if we spread the truth!" Naruto roared. "Now…I have a snake to skin…Sasuke!"

The Uchiha in question was released from the charm.

"Shikamaru!"

The Nara groaned as the effects wore off.

"Come with me!"

The two boys looked at Naruto with wide eyes, disbelieving everything that just transpired. Was it a genjutsu he just did; was it some kind of super-powered mind control technique?! Sasuke couldn't fathom the strength Naruto now had at his disposal, it just wasn't possible! But he said something about his father being the Yondaime? Now he originally would have just pushed it aside, thinking Naruto probably made something up, but to hear Kakashi confirm it with his statement, it was making sense. Looking to Shikamaru, Sasuke quickly assumed that the lazy bastard came up with the same conclusion. His growth, his power and his sudden knowledge was too exponential to be a coincidence, it was too –

"HEY!" Naruto shouted once more. "Come on!"

* * *

As the trio left the stands, the shinobi remaining stared at one another with awkward eyes, once the charm had worn off. Suna shinobi clenched their fists, with tears welling in their eyes. Their bodies shuddered in their flak jackets. No one dared to move an inch. Kakashi's eyes trailed to the Suna shinobi and then to the Oto shinobi then to Gai and back again. The Sound ninja were as still as statues, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. Despite the awkward tension saturating the very air they breathed, one thing was for certain – they all knew who their _real_ enemy is. But not a single move was made to apprehend or attack the Sound shinobi standing before them.

"Children." Kakashi called, gaining the attention of the members of the Konoha Twelve remaining in the stands. "Go and help Naruto. He will need all the help he can get."

"B-But…" Sakura called. Her emerald eyes trailed from her teacher out to the Sand shinobi giving the man knowing looks. Seeing her teacher reciprocate the gesture, she knew immediately that she and her genin friends had no place being there. "…Okay…Kakashi-sensei."

"Forehead…" Ino looked at her with wide eyes and tears welling in the corners. "If we go out there…"

"Don't worry, we'll have each other's backs…" Kiba called in an uncharacteristically quiet tone. "Let's go!"

As the group of genin jumped from the large hole in the stands, all that remained were jōnin and chunin preparing for the worst.

"Do you think it's wise sending a bunch of genin – no matter how talented they may seem…to fight a Sannin?" Gai asked.

"Whether or not they can or can't is moot at this point isn't it." Kakashi sighed, taking a deep breath. "If anything, Sasuke will release the Cursed Seal and Naruto will increase the output of the Kyuubi chakra within him."

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Gai gave his eternal rival and friend a wide eyed look.

Kakashi nodded his head slightly at the Suna shinobi standing before him. "Not necessarily…"

Suna shinobi slowly unclipped their kunai pouches strapped to their legs. Oto shinobi slowly drew kunai from their holsters, half-drawn to show off the glinting light. Aoba, Kakashi and Gai began to follow suit. They knew what was to come and now, they weren't going to hold back. As the stare-down continued, Oto shinobi arrived to reinforce the three statuesque jōnin across from them. Now, in all respects, they were evenly matched. With ten Oto jōnin, four Konoha and six Suna jōnin in the mix, it was a godsend that the civilians were either escorted away or dead.

"Before we get started…" A Suna jōnin began with a dark tone. He drew his kunai out, nodding to the Hatake taking a stand next to him. He turned to face the Oto ninja with a glare marring his face as chakra rolled off of his body. "Would any of you like to surrender?"

* * *

Naruto landed, taking off into a full sprint. Ignoring the snakes that were violently crushed by a great toad, and ignoring the sudden retaliation from Konoha and her shinobi forces, he sped ahead. The clone was not dead. He couldn't be dead yet. It would have been too easy to defeat Orochimaru in the streets if that were the case. No, after all the shit he saw burned into his memory, the Snake was well deserving of his nickname. Taking in his surroundings, the Sound shinobi were beginning the next stage of their offensive. If their greater numbers was any indication; they were practically swarming the village and former sand placements while the Leaf forces concentrated on Sand and vice-versa.

As he rushed through the rooftops, sword in hand and his two friends on his rear, he was almost like a speeding bullet. Everything was in a near tunnel vision. With chakra burning off of his legs, using the power the soldier pills gave him to their fullest extent, he took off at speeds near similar to Lee. But in his speed, he came across a platoon of Sound shinobi, preparing to do their worst on a group of unsuspecting wounded Leaf and Sand ninja.

Doing what he could, he fell to a knee, slightly surprised by the amount of sand and blood there was on the rooftops. He slid forward, blowing past the wounded warriors of the innocent nations. Kicking from the ground like a springboard, he lodged his knee into the first sound shinobi who crossed his path. Three great motes of fire shot from his abdomen and quickly engulfed the nearest ninja. Landing on his toes, he did a near perfect pirouette, clashing his kunai sword with the knives and blades of the belligerent sound. They jumped, dodged and weaved between each other's attacks, showing the skill they had. Before the great sword fight could truly commence, Sasuke appeared, a chidori exploding off of his left arm.

He sliced through a pair of shinobi, showering the rooftop with their blood. His face was dark with his sharingan tomoe spiraling. When he too landed, he sped forward, prepared to strike out against another shinobi. Using chakra, Naruto caught sight of the incoming attack and dodged Sasuke at near lightning speed. Across the way, Shikamaru arrived with a long trail of shadow coming in and snatching the three remaining Oto shinobi, leaving them in Sasuke's warpath. As Naruto rolled away, the Uchiha flashed through the remaining sound shinobi, bisecting them like their comrades. When he landed, the boy fell to his knees, gripping his shoulder, growling like an animal as the same flame-like tattoos spread across his face and arms.

"Sasuke, here." Shikamaru tossed the weakened Uchiha a soldier pill.

When the boy ate it, his body exploded in energy, replenishing his depleted chakra reserves and already depleting curse mark. His eyes gained a darker hue and his face was no longer pale looking. Sasuke looked to the two shinobi and nodded in thanks. Rising to their feet, they walked up to the Sand and Leaf shinobi with glares on their faces and a story to tell. Naruto tapped Sasuke and Shikamaru and released a deep growl, feeling chakra of terrifying proportions. For a shadow clone, Naruto had to admit, Orochimaru knew his ninjutsu. While Naruto's own shadow clones would disappear at the mere contact of a weapon or at times, punches and kicks, the shadow clone that Orochimaru created was far more durable, almost disgustingly and impossibly so.

"Shika, handle this, get them up to speed." Naruto said through rushed breath. "Sasuke and I need to go! Sasuke, come on!"

"I know!"

* * *

Gaara struggled to stay conscious, fighting back against the pain radiating in his stomach. Where he would practically have untouched charka reserves thanks to Shukaku doing everything for him, since the sealing, the redhead was left to do things mostly on his own, save for healing. Against a genin at the least and those unsuspecting ANBU at the most, Gaara felt he could stand a good chance, but against someone like Orochimaru, even if the man before him was a simple clone, he didn't stand a sliver of a chance. Hoping only got him so far. Wishing for victory was something he never had to do until now.

Temari and Kankuro were knocked out, leaning against the buildings on either side of the street. Blood trickled from the corners of their split lips and giant bruises blackened on their foreheads. Growling underneath his breath, the Jinchuriki faced the advancing Sannin with defiance and an undeterred expression spread across his features. Sand slowly withered to his command; blowing with the winds only to return and gather beneath his palms like stalagmites. All around, sand poured from the massive gourd on his back adding to the already rising sea. But even with the show of power and remaining strength, the Sannin was unimpressed and rather bemused.

"Your Konoha friends are nowhere near to save you." Orochimaru hissed with his tongue swinging about. "It's time to release the Ichibi and resume my plans."

 **"Sand Coffin!"**

A wave of sand rushed towards the Sannin. Orochimaru though, saw it coming and using chakra scalpels, he sliced through the chakra enhanced granules. Each tendril was sliced in half, negating the purpose and leaving Gaara with little options. Behind the wall of sand, the genin swung his arm out, sending a large fist careening into Orochimaru's unprotected sides. Being a Sannin, the man was well versed in all if not most assaults and strategies. Gaara knew this and had nearly no way to predict what the snake was going to do next. But nevertheless, he had to keep the snake away for the time being. If Shukaku were released in the middle of the village, their efforts to keep the Snake away would have been for nothing. Naruto's sacrifice would have been for nothing.

Jumping back, dodging an incoming axe-kick, Gaara replaced himself with a sand clone. Orochimaru's foot smashed through the Bunshin, slowly sinking the limb into the hardened sand. The man glared at the gall Gaara exuded in abundance. Taking a few moments to rethink his approach, he eyed the great purple box looming over the arena stands. From what he could sense from his original, the First and Second Hokage were revived for the sole purpose of taking down the Third. Trees had already been birthed and a near ocean of water had risen covering about a quarter of the box. He could see great blasts of fire meeting water or running branches of trees, signifying the fight was still in effect.

He still had time to take advantage of the situation. Rushed forward, he dodged an incoming tendril of sand that nearly impaled him. Swinging his sword around, he sliced the tendril in half negating Gaara's control. As he landed on his feet, his balance was removed in an instant, practically sending him in a backflip as sand whisked away, taking him with it. Shooting his hands out, he landed upon the dirt, flipping over and this time, made sure to steer clear of Gaara's near infinite weapon. Eyeing the adamant Jinchuriki, he was at a near loss of what to do with the redhead.

"I think it's time to spice things up." A familiar voice appeared. "Surprised?"

Orochimaru's eyes perked up, narrowing at the sight. "The other Naruto…was a shadow clone?"

"Aha!" Naruto laughed pointedly. "You caught on!"

 _Something's not right with him._ Orochimaru backed away from the newcomers. "Sasuke-kun~, Naruto-kun~…how kind of you two to join us!"

"We're not here for idle chatter." Naruto growled.

Bubbling chakra, far more potent than before began to rupture from the seal on his stomach. Energy ripped through the scenery, glowing with a menacing vermilion. It felt toxic but at the same time…relaxing. Orochimaru couldn't believe his eyes or his senses; such power, such immense and untapped potential was practically sizzling before him. Seeing Naruto's powers from the Kage Box did the boy no justice. Up close and personal, the sheer amount of energy and rage was…beautiful – and he knew this was just the tip of the iceberg. Unable to contain his excitement, and dare he say _arousal_ , he licked his lips in amorous anticipation. If the boy's shadow clone was able to hold out for that long and endure the amount of punishment it did, he couldn't even begin to fathom what the real Naruto could go through. With what he saw from the shadow clone, he would be surprised if Naruto _didn't_ manage to survive the cursed seals! No, Orochimaru chided. He'd already marked Sasuke. It would be redundant and an honest waste of…potential…

With chakra like Naruto's and eyes like Sasuke's…Orochimaru's body shuddered. He needed the eyes, not the whole body. If he was desperate for more sharingan, he could easily grow more from Sasuke's genes. With the knowledge he already had at his disposal, combined with an Uzumaki's life force and chakra mixed with an Uchiha's sharingan…Orochimaru could already feel his body coming close to a climax of pleasure from his fantasy. While such thoughts were only thoughts at the moment, he needed to make the dream a reality. Uzumaki could live for exceptionally long periods (Some far outlasting their descendants) of time but sadly, the entire clan was exterminated before Orochimaru could kidnap – err…attain – viable research from Uzushiogakure. If he could somehow manage to corrupt Naruto into coming along, he could have the secrets to everlasting life.

Smiling as brightly as he can, Orochimaru's snake-like fangs erupted forth, dripping poison. Across the street, Sasuke stared at the man with fear unabated like a scorching inferno in his sharingan eyes. It was like that day in the Forest of Death. It was like the day he was marked. Sasuke's arm shook as he barely managed to have the willpower to move it. The cursed mark was speaking, radiating its tainted energy throughout his body. And in the presence of the perpetrator, the pain only grew. Finding the scene rather hilarious, Orochimaru's neck extended, rising above the trio of shinobi like a giraffe over the forest trees. The three genin backed away slightly, barely able to stomach it. Flashes of the forest rushed through Sasuke's rushing mind, barely able to process what was coming.

"Naruto-kun~" Orochimaru smiled, his tongue significantly longer and waving free from his mouth. "The village lied to you, held you back on several occasions and…the man you looked to as a grandfather withheld the truth from you…you should have been treated as a hero for carrying the burden you do, for being the son of the Yondaime…but look at you."

Dodging a large bullet of sand, Orochimaru weaved his head around like a snake, repositioning. "Come with me and you'll never worry again. Come with me and you will receive what you deserve. Namikaze~"

Naruto's glare receded hearing the family name of his father. His throat burned dry and his right arm began to twitch once again. He used all of his willpower not to take a step towards the snake.

"Namikaze Naruto." Orochimaru said with a hint of pride. "Imagine the people calling your name."

" **Katon: Gōkakyū no jutsu!** "

A great fireball sprang forth, speeding towards the snake of a man. Surprisingly, it came from none other than Sasuke. His eyes were filled with anger and pain at the words Orochimaru spat. His breath was heavy, obviously his mind was still reeling from everything that has transpired. Not even giving his blond comrade a look, Sasuke stepped forward, purple chakra exploding off of his shoulder. He struggled ahead, ready to make a stand. But his bravado, his show of strength and power was for nothing.

Orochimaru cackled as he threw up a half-ram hand seal. Immediately, Sasuke was thrown to the ground, howling in pain as the cursed mark began to burn into his flesh – literally. He could feel his skin and muscles melt away because of how powerful the cursed seal was. He gripped his shoulder, screaming and roaring out his disdain. Barely able to contain himself, the boy began to collapse to the hard dirt street. But just as he fell, a small bed of sand caught him.

"S-Sasuke…" Naruto looked at his friend.

He glared, clenching his teeth. "D-Don't let him…don't…I…I won't let him brand you too, dobe!"

"It will be too late for that!" Orochimaru's delirious voice echoed. He closed the distance, surprising the three genin. But before Naruto could react, it was too late.

* * *

Among the civilians of Konohagakure, there was a small section, a very minute fraction of the overall populace that had a secret calling. They created a chronological log of all of one Uzumaki Naruto's pranks. They'd record his antics and the skills he'd shown – all of which spoke volumes of what kind of shinobi he'd be. While it started off as a joke, the older the blond dervish became, the more complex his style and flair became and the use of his chakra became more apparent. It was amazing that even trained chunin and jōnin couldn't catch up with a child a quarter their age.

There were times when even ANBU were called in to try and capture Uzumaki Naruto. While the boy was always pulling pranks, be it pulling people's pants down or using his sexy no jutsu on the next unaware passerby, there were those _special days_ where his pranks would exceed the previous mediocrity of underhand tricks and harmless traps. There were times when his own pranks could be on par with a shinobi simulation test of sorts. Jokingly, it was a godsend for jōnin feeling their comrades were getting slack, but a blight on most of the common people and lesser shinobi.

Even then, the ANBU, holding back their skills be damned, always had a difficult time capturing the Uzumaki. Be it his somehow, God-given speed or some strange providence of perfect elusiveness, but he was the master of escaping his pursuers. No matter where they came from, no matter what they claimed to be.

All things considered; Orochimaru didn't know who he was messing with.

With sleight of hand as his best friend, the Uzumaki had managed to replace himself with a flying kunai almost twenty meters away. After the smoke and dust settled, all eyes were expecting to see a trapped Uzumaki. Surprisingly, lodged between Orochimaru's teeth was a burning kunai with an explosive tag wrapped around the handle. Once those there to witness noticed the trick, they quickly sprang into action.

Sand rushed out, wrapping around the Sand Siblings and Sasuke ready to shield them from the inevitably powerful blast. Orochimaru dropped the kunai, quickly retracting his head. The attempt was futile as the explosion ripped through the scene, tearing apart buildings and collapsing empty husks. Thankfully, the great sand orbs that Gaara used to protect his new impromptu comrade and siblings worked without a hitch, shielding them from the incredible explosion. Once the heat and the rippling shockwave receded, all that remained was a charred epicenter and a smoking Orochimaru. He didn't look entirely well judging by his scowl.

"Gaara…" Sasuke looked to the Suna shinobi. "Stay behind me."

Feeling the effects of the soldier pill, Sasuke sped through a series of hand seals and threw his left arm down holding his hand open wide. Within seconds, lightning sparked, chirping and singing as a chidori came to life. Channeling more chakra into his palm, the attack grew larger and wilder. The song of a thousand birds now sounded like screeches and metal scraping against metal. Despite how abhorrent the sound felt, Sasuke was undeterred as his sharingan sprang to life once more. Black tattoos flittered across his pale skin, covering his entire face and left arm. From the corner of his eyes, he could see an orange figure preparing to strike from Orochimaru's rear.

 _Damn it Naruto._ Sasuke laughed inwardly. _To think…I'll catch up immediately! I may have been disqualified, but now I can truly show my skills!_

Chakra radiating from his legs, he sprang forward at speeds akin to Naruto's spirit rush. Gaara's sand tendrils that trailed with the Uchiha were blown away similar to when the Uzumaki across the street blew a hole in the redhead's back and chest. He winced at the memory but knew that was the only choice Naruto had in defeating him – and inadvertently saving his sanity. Village association be damned, Gaara steeled his resolve and relished in the silence and peace of mind he had gained from Naruto's intrusion. Throwing his arms forward, the sands trailed after the speeding Uchiha, fully intent on protecting him from Orochimaru's retaliation.

In the rear, Naruto had taken a silent charge, chakra burning off of his limbs. In his hand a big orb had formed, spiraling with a far more ferocious revolution than ever before. Unbeknownst to the Uzumaki, he was pushing Ahri's chakra into the blue orb, slowly turning his impromptu rasengan into a blood-red color. Taking off, he could see Sasuke on his way to Orochimaru's front, leaving the snake's rear open for attack. In his speed – and thanks to the violent chakra radiating off of his body – the Uzumaki plowed through debris and giant rocks that would have otherwise hindered his assault. With the amount of chakra Naruto was pumping, he had to wonder when the soldier pills he ingested would run out.

The two genin rushed at Orochimaru closing the distance in a near blink of an eye. The first attack to hit was almost hard to tell, but once the light and smoke cleared, Naruto veered away from the still moving Uchiha. It seemed like an unspoken unanimous decision to keep their attacks from meeting. The destruction the two could cause was unknown but it had to be devastating if they did. Pushing through the smoke, Gaara's sand split and shot around, catching both Naruto and Sasuke, repositioning them outside of the visual deterrent.

"You know we didn't get him." Sasuke frowned.

"Yeah." The Uzumaki sighed in despair. "Hey! Do you sense that?"

The three conscious genin looked to the rooftops to find an unsuspecting sight. The remaining members of the Konoha Twelve arrived, jumping down to meet them in the streets. Behind the horde of genin, Suna and Konoha shinobi took to the air, jumping over streets and rooftops to spread the word. The genin clamored for the battered Uzumaki and Uchiha, asking questions and some even demanding explanations. After a few bumbling words of embarrassment from the resident Jinchuriki of Konoha and a far more in depth explanation from Gaara, the genin of Konoha took deep and shaking breaths, barely able to contain their worry.

"Okay." Naruto frowned. "Listen up guys."

Their faces perked up hearing his commanding tone.

"Orochimaru is not a joke." Naruto began. "The only reason Sasuke, Gaara and I have even lasted this long, I assume the Sannin is playing with us, gauging our _usefulness_. If his leering eyes were any indication, he wants me and Sasuke for something I don't have the brains to figure out. Earlier he tried to brand me with a cursed mark as well."

Sakura gasped with eyes shimmering, flashes of Sasuke's transformation appearing in her mind.

"Right now, the one we're facing is a clone." Naruto added. "The real one us up there."

He pointed knowingly towards the great purple barrier. All heads turned just in time to witness a series of explosions and flashes of fire and light were seen going off within the monstrosity. Small silhouettes of figures were seen jumping about, clashing and sending ninjutsu towards one another.

"The clone has one mission; break the seal I placed on Gaara." Naruto frowned. "Shikamaru can fill you in on all the details because if I'm gonna be honest, it'll take way too long to explain. What matters now is to get Gaara the fuck out of here and with a group of allied shinobi; probably Kakashi-sensei or Asuma-sensei. Just get him away from Sound shinobi and out of the fight."

"What makes you think I'll stand idly by?" Gaara suddenly spoke.

Naruto glared, setting his jaw. "If you don't comply, I'll make you."

"Oh, Naruto-kun~!" A slithery voice was heard. "Hearing you command those beneath you is…adorable but also incredibly sad. Don't you know that it's futile to continue fighting me?"

"Shikamaru." Naruto frowned, feeling his brain churning out strategies. "You know what to do, right?"

"What are you –?"

He was cut short when Naruto gave him a knowing look. "Tch. Troublesome blond."

"Alright, fine." Naruto released a frustrated sigh. "Gaara, if you plan on sticking around, wake your siblings. I need them for this strategy. We've seen each other perform in the chunin exams, we all know what we all can do. We will need everyone paying attention and stay ready and prepared to strike this clone down."

"Even though he's a clone…" Kiba could feel pain burn in his chest, remembering the Oto shinobi who attacked the unconscious form of Hinata in the stands. "What can a group of genin do against a fucking Sannin, we barely managed against jōnin and chunin in the stands – and we even had help?"

"He has quality, we have quantity." Naruto smirked. "Teme, you ready?"

"Always, dobe." The Uchiha took a series of deepening breaths.

The rest of the shinobi and kunoichi took positions. "It's interesting seeing Naruto take charge isn't it?" Ino smirked.

"Best get used to it, Ino-chan." Naruto smiled back. "Uzumaki Naruto isn't an idiot anymore."

Shikamaru fell to a knee as the Suna siblings began to take positions. "Naruto, you already have a strategy in place don't you?"

"That I do…" The boy took a while to respond. "But I need you to refine it. When I spring into action, I hope you can keep up."

"Why not just tell me?" Shika asked with a scowl.

Naruto fell into a stance with chakra burning off of his body. "If I utter a damn word of this strategy, Orochimaru will know how to counter my movements. I don't know about you, but I don't think any of you think as I do."

* * *

The winds settled and the dust parted.

The sounds of battle rocked the ambiance as the thirteen genin stared down the greatest opponent they've ever fought.

Orochimaru smiled to himself, feeling his wounds heal once more. His tongue swinging around and practically slurping at his lips.

"Gaara, get us to Orochimaru!"

Immediately, Gaara's sand rose creating platforms beneath Naruto and Sasuke's feet. The sand sped them forward. As if they were born to it, the two genin rode the wave of sand, all the while hurling shuriken and kunai at their target. Orochimaru in all of his power stood unmoved, unimpressed with the show. Once they closed the distance, he finally moved.

Ducking beneath Sasuke's kunai and jumping over Naruto's kunai sword, the man was untouched. But unlike every attempt before, in hindsight, Orochimaru really needed to stop playing with his food.

Both Naruto and Sasuke popped into smoke revealing almost five kunai each. Explosive tags already burned out and about to explode waved at the end of the handles. Orochimaru was prepared to evade, or possibly even kawarimi with some debris, but for some reason he was immoveable and could barely channel chakra correctly. He clenched his teeth struggling to fight the lightheaded feeling beginning to set. But before he could make any true movements to escape, the ten kunai exploded, almost like firecrackers, each one adding its own beauty and shock.

"Good." Naruto smiled. "Tenten, Temari, use your attacks together. Wind will push your weapons further and faster, the more projectiles, the more distracted Orochimaru will be. I'll help too. Gaara, Shino, continue mixing your bugs and sand together and keep smashing the mixture against Orochimaru. Sucking up his chakra, no matter how little it may seem will begin to stack up and with the amount of sand you're pushing, the Snake will easily get caught in a Sand Coffin eventually. All we need to do know is find a way to truly disable him. Kiba, Choji! Are you two ready?!" After receiving a couple nods, Naruto turned to Shikamaru and Ino as they two worked on getting into position. "Hinata, Sakura get ready."

Naruto channeled chakra through his body, exploding it from his pores. Smoke and dust began to rise, adding to the massive column of smoke rising from his and Sasuke's onslaught. Orochimaru was definitely thrown in a loop, confused and if Naruto was being honest, he hoped that the Sannin was beginning to lose his patience. A warrior, no matter how skilled or powerful, the instant they lost control was the instant they lost the fight. Taking deep breaths, he calmed his ragged demeanor. Looking to Sasuke, the pair reached down lifting three kunai. Two went to Naruto and one went to Sasuke.

" **GRAH!** " A howling screech sent shivers up and down everyone's spines. " **I AM DONE PLAYING! IF YOU WANT A FIGHT, I'LL GIVE YOU A REAL FIGHT!** "

"Sasuke!" Naruto dashed through the smoke with Sakura following behind the pair.

Bursting through the smoke and cloud, Naruto was the first to appear. Throwing a powerful punch, Orochimaru blocked the attack, breaking from the sand and kikaichu beetles that latched onto his arms and legs. With power rolling off of his body, he blocked Naruto's punch, surprised by how the blond had managed to expel chakra at the point of impact. Working quick to dodge his incoming leg, Orochimaru weaved beneath and around the airborne Uzumaki allowing him to practically fly over his body.

But the instant he got rid of the blond, Sasuke arrived with a chidori in his hand. The look in his two tomoe sharingan screamed preparation to do the deed. Orochimaru was not prepared to die anytime soon and direly wished to smack the three genin around. Sweeping his leg around, the Uchiha was thrown off of his balance. With the Snake going for a low attack, he narrowly escaped the pair of kunai that nearly impaled his spine. Right behind him, Naruto's face was glowing with excitement as the two weapons headed straight for Sakura.

In the midst of the chaos, she grabbed the two projectiles and threw them towards the recuperating Sannin. From the corner of his eyes though, he dodged the first, watching it lodge into the side of a building diagonal from him. Barely able to contain his laughter at how elementary this assault was, he blocked a series of high kicks and even dodged the second kunai allowing it to lodge into another building, almost adjacent to the first. The accuracy of the Haruno was something comment on, sadly Orochi was too fast for her.

Once he successfully knocked Sasuke away, a pair of arms and legs wrapped around his torso, holding him in place. Orochimaru shook, throwing his arms and body around trying to get rid of the Uzumaki gripping him with a vice-like grip. But before the Sannin could succeed, sand wrapped around his ankles and shin, holding him in place. In front of him, Sakura roared, rushing towards the man with chakra visibly radiating off of her fist.

" **SHANNARO!** "

The ground shook once her fist met Orochimaru's exposed chest. The power was amazing, almost impossibly strong. The power was so intense, the Naruto holding on to Orochimaru's body popped in a cloud of smoke, confusing the pinkette. She could have sworn that the real Naruto was fighting alongside her. With Orochimaru barely able to register what happened, with all the wind and possibly more, knocked from his body, he struggled. This was not supposed to happen. They were turning him into a punching bag!

"It's not over yet!" Naruto's voice sounded, sending waves and ripples of anger through the Sannin. "Choji! Kiba, now!"

" **Baika no jutsu!** " Choji expanded almost thirty times his regular size.

Orochimaru glared at the opposition finding it strange that the Inuzuka and his dog were nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a pair of pops were heard coming from behind. The snake whipped his head around, twisting it to face the sources. There, standing on the walls where the kunai used to be, Kiba and a transformed Akamaru appeared as the smoke began to clear. He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists knowing this had gone on too long. _Damn them. The dog and Inuzuka must have used a henge to disguise themselves as kunai. That's why Naruto didn't dare to use the kunai he held when he clashed with me._

"Go!" Naruto roared. "GO NOW!"

"Let's go Akamaru!" Kiba howled. " **GATSUUGA!** "

" **NIKUDAN SENSHA!** " Choji screamed.

Channeling chakra to her mind and hands, Ino pressed her palm against Shikamaru's head. "I'm ready, Shika. I'll direct you."

Nodding his head, the Nara spread his shadow grabbing onto Choji as his Human Bullet Tank technique began to spiral. Shikamaru grunted at the sheer weight that the Akimichi held, but didn't utter a word. Using his shadow as an extension of his own arms and hands, he swung forward firing Choji towards the trapped Sannin. Orochimaru swung his sword out, prepared to strike down Choji, but thanks to Ino's sensory technique, despite how rudimentary and crude it may be, she caught sight of this and caused Shikamaru to change the direction of his shadow.

The first of the pincer maneuver to meet its mark, Kiba and Akamaru rammed into Orochimaru's spine and shoulder-blades, shattering and practically maiming the flesh off of his bones. The instant his stance and defensive hold on his sword was broken, Shikamaru snapped the shadow forward, sending Choji ramming into Orochimaru's exposed torso. He howled as unbelievable pain ruptured throughout his body. Bones powdered and organs were turned to mush. It was at this moment that the Sannin wished he were like Naruto's regular shadow clones. The pain was astounding and honestly a welcome surprise. The amount of potential these genin had sent shivers up and down his spine.

But unlike Naruto or Sasuke or even Gaara for that matter, the rest of the genin seemed to be running on short supply of chakra. Kiba and Akamaru dropped their attack first and shot back into the debris covered street. As Choji's attack wore off, giving the Orochimaru some room to breathe and take in his surroundings, a pair of Naruto's shadow clones arrived, catching both Akamaru and Kiba before disappearing in a flurry of sand. Turning his attention to Choji, hoping to get some sort of victory, he was intending to skewer the piggy. As he lunged forward with a kunai, a wall of sand erupted, taking the kunai and absorbing the Snake's arm. Chakra strings laced from Kankuro's fingertips grabbed and latched onto Choji's body just in time to pull him back.

"Now that Orochimaru is distracted and trapped; Hinata, it's time to do it!" Naruto cried. "Temari! To the rooftops!"

"Alright!"

Naruto jumped as high as he could landing on what remained of the rooftops. Adjacent to him, Temari had drawn her fans and rushed along. With their actions parallel, it was like watching a mirror image of himself. Throwing their feet down, the two blond ninja skidded along the rubble and debris littering the concrete roofs. Once he came to a halt, he and Temari stood in front of each other with nothing but the street and a trapped and frustrated Orochimaru between the two. Speeding through a series of hand seals, they brought their hands to their mouths.

" **Futon: Ryūsui!** "

The two rather weak but extremely effective wind techniques rammed against Orochimaru's body. It felt like weights were resting on his shoulders and torso, pushing him against the dirt and against his will. He roared, channeling chakra to fight back. Using the power at his disposal, he sped through a series of hand seals. Once he finished, he slammed his palms on either side of his body, raising two walls of earth. The walls redirected the winds, sending them in every direction but towards him. Unbeknownst to him, Sasuke finally threw his kunai towards the Snake.

Attached to the back of the kunai was Shikamaru's jacket. As it zoomed through the air, the redirected winds pushed into the parachute of sorts, sending the kunai into the air following the powerful up-drift. Orochimaru, too fixated and enraged, didn't take notice of the kunai rising into the air. Finally, as the winds began to die down, Tenten rushed ahead, a pair of scrolls spiraling around her body. Kunai, shuriken and even swords rushed out of the various seals drawn upon the paper. Orochimaru dodged and evaded to the best of his ability, and even grabbed a sword from the incoming flurry, blocking and deflected the incoming projectiles.

Despite the near hailstorm of weapons, not a single on was even directly aimed at him. It was almost as if it were a…distraction. From the corner of his eyes, Sasuke had thrown another kunai, this one merging with the rest of the Tenten's assault. He cursed himself, returning to block and defend against Tenten's persistence. As he gained a pattern in the worst of situations, finally giving him a bone to chew, something tickled his face, almost like paper. Almost like…

" **GODDAMN IT!** "

A series of explosions rocked the scene as explosive paper tags went off from various kunai. On the rooftops, Naruto could be heard cackling like a maniac as Orochimaru fell for the same trick for the umpteenth time. But now, with the smoke completely covering the snake, it gave way for their secret attack. Sasuke's kunai ripped through the smoke and cleared a small path through the chaos, unharmed and undeterred. Once the kunai was free and almost a foot away from the Sannin, the knife exploded into smoke.

Much to Orochimaru's ire, it came to reveal the timid, but incredibly pissed, Hyuuga Hinata. She skidded against the dirt, trying to transfer her momentum to her palms. With the Byakugan activated, she could see every tenketsu point that dotted Orochimaru's back and spine. With a cry, she fell into the stance and channeled chakra to her palms.

" **Two palms!** "

The attacks hit like iron weights.

" **Four palms!** "

Orochimaru was practically blasted from the sand and kikaichu trap.

" **Eight palms!** "

With each passing strike, the chakra exploded on impact, not only closing the Snake's tenketsu, but thanks to the onslaught of her comrades, he was significantly weaker with his body getting wounded faster than it can heal.

" **Sixteen palms!** "

Orochimaru roared as the kikaichu parasitic technique now had very visible and painful effects. The girl's attacks were far more effective than they should have been.

" **Thirty-two palms!** "

The final attack hit something in his spine that sent shivers and flashbacks into the Snake's head. But not only that, pain radiated from his stomach, almost as if he were feeling something rip from his body. He thought the Hyuuga was done, but surprising the Konoha shinobi present, Hinata adopted a new face and expression, jumping forward to face the Sannin.

" **SIXTY-FOUR PALMS!** "

Each hit resonated and echoed. The Orochimaru clone roared feeling her palms shut off most of his important tenketsu points. But once her final strike was concluded, he smirked at her when she huffed, gasping for air. Preparing to strike her once again, a great cutting gust of wind smashed into his shoulder with another more streamlined attack bashed into his side. Looking up, both Temari and Naruto had made their assault. From the corner of his eye, sand wrapped around Hinata and chakra strings attached to her limbs and pulled her along.

"Naruto!" Sasuke roared. "Do it now!"

As the winds died down, Orochimaru's head swiveled, turning a full one-hundred and eighty degrees to face the sky. Attached to a parachute of sorts, a kunai popped into smoke, revealing none other than Uzumaki Naruto once again. In his hands, a kunai sword glowed with a vermilion intensity. He descended at speeds far too quick to evade. Orochimaru scrambled for chakra, whatever was left in his reserves was all he needed. Blinking a few times, Naruto's visage only grew closer and closer with each passing second.

It was then that he heard it.

That insufferable shout.

The confidence that rolled off of him in droves.

The annoying bravado.

"This ends **now!** "

* * *

"Good work, Dong-saeng." Ahri cheered.

Naruto panted in his mindscape, staring at the fox within. "Holy shit, Noona…we did it."

"T-That was honestly one of the most amazing things I've ever seen." Ahri commended. "Now…the snake is dead. You can finally move on and finish this invasion."

"Naruto!" A series of shouts echoed.

Bringing his thoughts from the mindscape, he looked to his friends and new comrades with shimmering cerulean eyes. "H-Hey…w-we killed a clone of a Sannin."

"I can hardly believe myself…" Kiba was still being uncharacteristically calm. "T-That was some serious strategizing, Naruto."

"Yeah." Shikamaru nodded with a small smile. "So…is the clone dead yet?"

Naruto looked down. Straddling the Snake's back, Naruto's sword was lodged into the man's back and through his heart. There was no way that the Sannin survived that; clone or not. He took deep breaths and ignored the perpetually twisted face of Orochimaru. When he'd killed the man, he didn't turn his head back to face people like a normal person. Instead of kissing the dirt like most carcasses lying face down, Orochimaru's face was staring at the sky with wide eyes and snake-tongue hanging out. Naruto stared at the corpse waiting for it to finally dispel.

"Nice try, Naruto-kun~!" The head's jaw snapped, popping into place. "But it seems I have still won!"

Extending his neck with lightning fashion, his teeth sunk into Naruto's abdomen. The genin present jumped and screamed at the sight, barely able to comprehend what just happened. The Uzumaki roared, screaming in pain as poison and dark chakra rampaged through his coils. Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. His heart practically dropped to his stomach seeing someone he had come to respect fall. Drawing Orochimaru's own sword, he swung down onto the elongated neck, slicing it in two. Naruto could barely move trying his hardest to wrench the Snake's teeth from his flesh. Howling deliriously, the severed head and headless carcass both suddenly popped into smoke.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke slid forward, catching the boy as Gaara's sand rushed out and Shika's shadow possession grabbed him. Over Naruto's Jinchuriki seal, something that none of the other genin knew he had, was a seal that looked like an exact replica of the one on Sasuke's shoulder. Naruto's eyes were glazed and the once vibrant cerulean had faded to a cold metallic cobalt. Behind the gathered crowd of genin, the great purple box had fallen. All eyes trailed to see a five shadowy silhouettes escaping the arena. Behind them, what seemed like an army chased them. Suna and Konoha shinobi chased after the escaping shadows. That could only mean one thing; Orochimaru was defeated.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called, gripping the blond's orange jacket. "Stay with me!"

"S-Sasuke…" Naruto managed to whimper. "Shikamaru…Gaara…"

"NARUTO!"

* * *

 **So remember how I mentioned Naruto was gonna be using sealing techniques  
** **And really embrace his Uzumaki heritage?  
** **Yeah, getting the cursed seal is only going to add more reasons for him to do it.  
** **(I mean he was already going to learn it to try and release Ahri in the future)**

 **So yes, if you hadn't noticed, Sasuke won't be an asshole or a bad guy in this story  
idk why, but when I imagined this entire storyline I was smashed with the inspiration  
to keep Sasuke a good guy, you know?**

 **Also, I'm certain someone is going to complain about Orochimaru's clone getting wrecked by a bunch of genin  
Come on, please. Just roll with it it's a fanfiction lmao**

 **So Please, Please, please drop reviews! :D  
(Seriously, the more reviews I get, the fast I update and that's a fact)**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	8. Revelations in a Mental Haze

**For those who are new to my writing style; I tend to use many different genres  
** **If you haven't figured yet, this story will showcase Humor, Romance and Tragedy  
** **Along with character death and a lot of angsty, depressing moments but the main  
** **genres will still be the most prevalent**

 **It'll take a while for most of it to truly take off because of where the story started off  
this is a very dark and turbulent part of the Naruto lore and I simply made it more turbulent**

 **-* _PLEASE READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER BEFORE MAKING A REVIEW_ *-**

 **I know what I'm doing with my plot and story, so if there's any questions  
refer to the after chapter author's note, if there's more  
make a civilized review or pm me**

 **Also I'm surprised no one has tried to guess who Ahri's master is  
I've been mentioning her master for a reason lol**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Revelations in a Mental Haze**

 _Naruto!_

 _Wake up!_

 _Please!_

 _It's Orochimaru!_

 _Tenten! Shoot something at him!_

 _Temari! Do something!_

 _**Gatsūga!**_

 ** _Katon: Gōkakyū no jutsu!_**

 _He's getting away!_

 _After him!_

* * *

He laid there in silence.

His eyes shut tight as he slept.

Beaten, bruised and scarred, he rested.

With breaths like soft gusts of silent wind, a boy across the room would look up from the kunai sword he was sharpening with thoughts whirling at a thousand miles per second within that head of his. Sasuke watched with apprehension. He could barely stomach the scene in front of him. To see someone so strong, so powerful…so weak…worried him. Shirtless and covered in seals, the Uzumaki looked no better than the insurmountable dead the village had been forced to bury. Leaves drifted haphazardly as the birds dared not to sing. Sudden winds rustled as a sea of dark and ominous clouds covered the beaming sun above.

He made sure to stay silent, vigilant and watchful of his wounded friend. Now having known what he carries; the glares and the hate the Village held for the boy made sense. He pieced it together, from the hate and the whispers, the gleaming eyes filled with rage akin to his own…they called him the very thing he saved them from.

And he would be damned if they laid even the slightest finger on him.

He'd already failed Naruto once…he won't fail him again.

The Uchiha clenched his fists, feeling his arms shake with unabated rage. The sound of his pleading promise to Naruto before _it_ happened, snapping at him with venom. His jaw shuddered, gritting his teeth doing all he can to hold back the growing pain in his heart. Sasuke's chest felt tighten, almost ripping his body in two.

How could he let this happen?

This wasn't how it was supposed to be…

Save for the constant beeps from the machines barely keeping the boy breathing, the room felt like a hospice.

 _There is only a ten percent chance that Naruto will survive the cursed seal of heaven._

Anko's words echoed in Sasuke's empty mind.

 _I'm sorry…_

 _But if I were you, I wouldn't get your hopes up…_

* * *

Sakura laid against a tree, feeling the cooling winds brush against her cheeks. Her eyes were shut, hiding the dull emerald of her irides.

Weak and solemn, her home, her family, her world…

Lost in a day.

Mouth shut and hands hanging lax against her hips, her thoughts had descended to sorrowful reminisce. Her beloved leader, the Hokage that she had seen as the grandfather she'd never had, died in the most valiant of ways. Pain shot through her spine as the image of the man flashed into her mind's eye.

Her mother and father…were found in the rubble a day after the invasion.

She'd dug into the debris with her bare hands, shredding her fingertips and peeling her nails. Screaming for them, flailing her arms about with reckless abandon, wishing they would reach out and hold her hand once again.

It couldn't get worse…

Sakura could feel her lips quiver as heat and pain burned into her hidden eyes.

Now…Naruto…the blond…loveable idiot…

Anko's words stinging in the back of her mind like poison.

Weak legged and barely able to breath, the Kunoichi leaned deeper into the bark, doing her best to relish in the moisture growing in the air.

Thunder boomed into the overcast sky. Lightning forked violently, crawling along the clouds, writhing and dancing with the pain in her heart.

 _You have to live Naruto…_

 _I can't lose you too…_

 _I won't lose you too…_

* * *

What could have happened?

What could have been different?

Silent as the days had grown, Shikamaru stared at the board in front of him, unable to think.

For once, his mind wasn't in the game.

For once…he felt regret.

Eyes trailing past the debris filled streets and the ashen husks of singed trees, he caught sight of the hospital.

Thoughts landing on one boy…his friend.

Uzumaki Naruto.

He scowled, bowing his head forward. Clenched fists and shuddering body, the Nara rested his knuckles against his knees, barely able to contain his raging heart. Across the board, his father looked at him with sympathetic eyes, daring not to speak. Beside them, the bamboo and paper doors slid just a crack to reveal Nara Yoshino, unable to speak.

Shikamaru could still hear Anko's words, echoing within his mind.

 _Don't get your hopes up…_

 _Don't get your hopes up…_

 _Don't get your hopes up…_

His heart tightened, wrenching beneath that possible reality.

That impossible reality.

The only reality.

Covering his torso, a light green flak jacket designating the rank of chunin had lost its gleam.

To him, it was nothing; it was nothing if Naruto wasn't there to wear his as well. None of it mattered if the boy who led them in their time of need couldn't…

Shikamaru stopped himself, eyes wide with fear and worry.

 _There is only a ten percent chance that he could survive the cursed mark…_

He clenched his teeth, forgetting his father and mother's presence.

 _There is only a ten percent chance…_

 _Naruto…_

* * *

As solemn as he was most days, today was different.

Daring not to open his prized novel, a jōnin and a chunin sat beside each other feeling the rain pulsate against their faces. Kakashi sighed, shutting his lone eye as the drops grew large and heavy. Thankfully, Naruto was indoors and away from this downpour. Beside him, leaning against the walls of the hospital second floor, Iruka pressed his hands against the roof tiles.

Neither said a word to one another, for there was nothing to say.

After all, what could they say?

Chalk up stories of how they failed to protect their beloved little brother? Share a final moments recall of the blond dervish they so cherished? Reminisce was the last thing the two wanted. Iruka's eyes burned with tears as the saline drops mixed with the tears of the gods. Beneath the mask of the stoic, silver haired Hatake, his neutral expression belayed the pain of his chest ripping in two.

Anger, pain, sorrow.

The jōnin knew the three too well. As his heart pounded against his chest, he could feel the pain with each throbbing punch. Bringing his hands to his head, he ran his fingers through his damp hair, gripping his skull with all of his might.

Clenching his teeth beneath that mask, the thunders shielded his cries and shouts.

He'd failed his sensei.

He'd failed his teammates.

He'd failed Naruto.

Releasing the crown of his head from the vice-like grip, he turned his sorrow to the roaring skies, sharing in his agony. Screaming his throat and lungs dry, Kakashi collapsed against the hospital walls. Rainwater cascaded like waterfalls from the higher floors, but the jōnin and his chunin companion didn't dare to leave their place. His lone black eye had burned with a blood-shot color, almost glowing a hot crimson as he too felt the tears for the first time in what felt like ages. Listening to the tapping rain, Iruka and Kakashi sat in silence, waiting for the second Naruto's eyes sprang open.

* * *

Sasuke perked up once again, eyes darting from the whetstone and Naruto's kunai sword.

He thought he heard Naruto's voice, murmuring behind the shroud of the storm outside.

But his ears betrayed him.

Heaving a soft yet heavy sigh, his eyes slowly dragged from the boy and to the chunin flak jacket covered in a plastic wrapping sitting pretty on the bedside table. Resting on top of the beauty was Naruto's blue strapped hitai-ate. The metal plate bearing the sigil was sparkling clean, thanks to the present Uchiha.

While many friends and the rest of their comrades came by and left, Sasuke stayed behind. Days went by where he'd lose sleep, unaware of the time slipping by. None of that mattered to him; he was unwilling to let his first _real_ friend die, just as Naruto would be if their roles had been reversed.

After everything they fought to accomplish, after all the banter and childish arguments, the Uchiha felt his stomach twist.

A chaste laugh escaped his lips.

 _I called him a loser…_

But he only kept winning.

 _I called him an idiot…_

But he only kept getting smarter.

 _I called him a failure…_

But now he's a chunin.

Heaving breaths turned shaky, the Uchiha felt his curse mark radiate with sudden heat. He remembered the seal placed over it reminding himself of its purpose.

 _This is Orochimaru's power…_

Sasuke glared at the curse mark, significantly larger than the one he or Anko bore. The magatama were large enough to completely fill the circle on Naruto's abdomen.

Thanks to Jiraiya and a few shinobi well versed in fuinjutsu, they managed to draw out a series of seals that contained the Jinchuriki seal and the curse mark. Sasuke couldn't even remember how long it took. He did remember though, the warnings, the same spiel that Anko had given him and his comrades. That very same, ten percent chance to survive.

It's more than a mere coincidence that he and Anko survived. Sasuke began to reason with himself. Naruto could be a part of that small ten percent. He had to be.

The Uchiha's eyes landed upon his frail figure once again. Thinking of all the times he'd seen his blond teammate wounded and out of commission. He could remember it clearly; Naruto was never out for more than three days – it has been two weeks since the invasion.

The beeping machines were his only consolation against the still beating rain. The more the machines continued on their monotonous echo and never ending pattern, Sasuke knew that Naruto was still hanging on.

Be it by a thread or just recovering, Sasuke knew Naruto was still alive.

 _I cannot fail you Naruto…_ He frowned. _This power…this power that Orochimaru promised me…_

 _What good will it do me…_

Images of Itachi flashed into his mind. His words were spat back at him, roaring of revenge and hatred. Screaming of loneliness and pain, when right in front of him, a boy he thought beneath him had shown strength unlike any other. Someone he loathed in the beginning, to becoming someone he respected and honestly…loved.

Sasuke bit his lip feeling tears burn in the corner of his eyes. _You're my brother Naruto…no longer will you be alone…no longer will I let you suffer. I can't lose you like I lost Itachi…I won't lose you._

A soft whisper radiated from the curse mark on his shoulder, akin to a snake's hiss. Using all the willpower he could muster, he ignored the calls, the alluring voices offering power for his vengeance. For his justice.

 _No…_

Sasuke's tears dried up as he watched the curse seal of heaven writhe and wrench at Naruto's stomach. Much to the Uchiha's surprise, despite how powerful the seal looked, Naruto's heartrate never rose. Naruto's face never contorted in pain.

 _What good is this power…what good will it do me if I lose the one person who matters?_

 _What's the point if I can't save those dear to me?_

 _Damn you, Orochimaru…_

The Uchiha crossed his arms once more, feeling the thunder clap through the sky. Lightning flashed covering the room in a bright ominous light. Almost similar and reminiscent to the night of the massacre, Sasuke saw something lurking in the shadows next to Naruto's bed. He rose to his feet, a glare deepening on his face. For a moment, Itachi didn't concern him, for a moment, his clan's revenge hadn't occurred to him.

What he saw hiding in the shadows, was a figure filled with such hate and malice. He couldn't believe his eyes, it was _him_. Sasuke clenched his teeth, completely forgetting where he was. The walls of the hospital disappeared around him; leaving nothing but himself, Naruto and the man of his nightmares. Orochimaru stared at the sleeping blond with his tongue hanging free and a dark look on his face. Going so far as to run his fingers against the bare chest of patient, Orochimaru's intrusion sent shivers up and down Sasuke's spine.

Anger and hate grew within his heart and chakra. Springing his eyes open, his sharingan had awoken. His voice started as a growl, hidden by the booming thunder. Staring at the image before him, Orochimaru couldn't be there, the Sannin couldn't be in Konoha again! He watched as Orochimaru placed his hands on the seals covering Naruto's abdomen. He didn't know what the man was planning, but he wouldn't wait to find out. Without thinking, like on the bridge in the Land of Waves, Sasuke rushed forward. He didn't know what he was doing only, that he had to do something. Suddenly, he was blown back with a series of snakes wrapping around his arms and shoulders, planting him against the wall.

"Kakashi!" He cried out, but as the words left his lips, a snake slithered around his mouth silencing him. "Iruka! Someone! NARUTO!"

The Sannin began to pull the plug on the machines helping the wounded blond breathe. Sasuke fought back against his binds feeling his body and eyes burn. He cried out, screaming and kicking, doing everything in his power to fight back.

But just as Naruto's heartrate began to fall and slow, something changed. The shadows warped before his eyes as thunder and lightning continued their dance. There were no snakes wrapped around his arms. There was no beguiling evil watching over his teammate. The snake holding his mouth closed had disappeared along with the image, revealing none other than his own hands with fingers interlocked, clenched over his mouth.

With ragged breath, the boy collapsed to his knees. His stomach had tightened, wrenching within like a knot. For the first time in a long time, tears finally fell from those cold, sharingan eyes of his.

Unbeknownst to the Uchiha, the third tomoe had just birthed.

* * *

Drenched from head to toe, Sakura remained beneath the tree. Rain water trickled down her back, slicking her clothes and her skin against the mud. Thunder and lightning roared through the mid-day. She could hear over the storm, parents calling to their children, advising them to return to their homes.

A soft smile grew on her face, filling her with an unknown feeling.

Was it regret?

Was it pain?

The rains pelted heavier, beating against her face. She had to admit; it stung but no amount of physical pain she endured could possibly match how she was feeling. Gulping against the radiating emotions, the rain had come to a sudden halt. Daring not to open her eyes, Sakura remained silent. A slight shiver rocked her body as the rushing winds picked up, blowing against her soaked torso.

"Sakura…"

Her heart ripped in two.

A shuffle of clothing was heard and soon enough a loud splash followed.

In the moments that she sat in silence, a soft and caring hand landed onto her own. It held her as if the world was coming to an end. Slowly mustering the strength to crack her eyes open, she had learned the rain hadn't stopped. Rather, right next to her, with tears trickling from her bloodshot eyes, Yamanaka Ino sat. They looked at one another with an umbrella covering them from the torrential downpour.

"Sakura…"

Her voice hoarse and strained.

She couldn't believe that Naruto…the idiot, the dead last, their _leader_ , their _hero_ , could die any moment.

Ino's breath hitched as tears welled once more. Tightening her grip on Sakura's hand, the two leaned into each other, sharing heat and tears.

"He'll be alright…"

Ino wanted to believe what she'd said.

"He'll be fine…"

Her voice cracked, ever so slightly.

"And…and…b-before you know it…"

Sakura clasped Ino's hand as her body shuddered.

"H-He'll…be…he'll be running around…"

 _Ten percent chance of survival…_

"And h-he'll be screaming and shouting again…"

Sakura's eyes showed the first glint of hope that Ino had seen in almost two weeks.

"He'll be shouting…about b-becoming Hokage again!"

 _If I were you…_

"Y-Yeah…soon enough…Konoha will go back to normal…"

 _Don't get your hopes up._

* * *

Footsteps echoed through the dark-lit halls of the hospital. Empty as the streets of the village, a young man walked along, undeterred and uninterrupted from his mental musings. His eyes bore a lavender color, but instead of hate burning within his eyes, disbelief had taken place instead. Hobbling along, the boy rested his bandaged arm against the wall, unable to handle the news.

Beside him, another boy struggled. With crutches beneath his arms. The boy in question shouldn't even be walking in his state. But they needed to see him; they needed to say their piece.

Shooting a glance at his companion, Neji flashed him a soft smile. Removing the crutch beneath his right arm, he slung Lee's arm over his shoulder. Without words spoken, the two nodded in silence and continued their trek to one, Uzumaki Naruto's room. Against the wishes of many people and even their sensei, Lee had forced himself to follow Neji to the hospital.

Everything was almost too surreal.

For Neji, the boy that proved to him, everything he thought was a bitter lie; the boy who mended his relationship with his family, lie in a hospital bed with his life hanging in the balance. While he wasn't there to hear the unfortunate news of Naruto's survivability, seeing the downtrodden and depressed looks everyone had sported since the invasion, was enough for the Hyuuga prodigy to get the picture, also, Tenten, despite knowing the boy so recently, had let the two know of what happened; all the pain, the strength and the leadership he displayed.

Walking down the streets of Konoha, before the rain had begun, he swore he heard some Konoha shinobi whispering about Naruto.

They called him a hero.

They called him a prodigy.

There were a few who even went as far as openly weeping for the boy. It was surprising to the Hyuuga, just what exactly did the blond do?

When he asked, he felt a heavy weight rest on his shoulders.

Naruto's clones saved so many people on the day of the invasion. Even after he was branded with the curse mark and fell into a coma. The willpower the boy had to spread the word and defend former enemies like Suna and then, comrades who held almost nothing but disdain for him…was admirable. Neji could feel regret stirring within his stomach, wondering what any of this made him.

Knocking on the door, the Hyuuga waited for a few moments before the door slid open to reveal Uchiha Sasuke, with eyes already bearing the famed Sharingan. The boy looked at the two shinobi with a vicious glare for just a moment before quickly retracting the expression.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked rather defensively.

The Hyuuga looked down and led Lee into the room. "I have some words I need to say to Naruto…"

Sasuke sighed, lowering his arms and deactivating the sharingan. "Well go on, take your time…"

Turning on his heels, the Uchiha waltzed to his seat and lifted a long kunai sword and began to work at the blade with a whetstone. Thankfully, he was quiet with it, almost impossible to hear.

"Lee…would you like to go first?" Neji asked his wounded teammate. "Or should I?"

The boy nodded his head, struggling to find balance between the bed railings and Neji's shoulder. "N-Naruto-kun…you and I…we're alike in many ways…w-we don't give up and we work as hard as we can to achieve our goals…we have the willpower to never back down…so please…you can't let this keep you back, you won't let this keep you down. I…you're…" Lee fell silent, at a loss for words. He'd finally taken a good look at the boy. With a tube down his throat and a rather sickly pale hue to his face, Naruto had never looked so weak. "Naruto-kun…your Flames of Youth can never be doused or diminished…you will wake up and you will return…you have to…"

Nodding his head at his friend and shed a few tears, unable to contain his emotions. Lee was about to fall back, but was immediately caught by the raven-haired Uchiha. Nodding to the bowl-cut shinobi, Sasuke lowered the crippled boy onto a chair and laid his crutches against the wall.

As all of this went down, Neji stared at the Uzumaki, uncertain of what it was he really wanted to say. Naruto had beaten him, showing him that everything he'd believed was faulted. He looked down at him, finding the place where the Snake bit him. Two large holes were bandaged over his abdomen, but thanks to the plethora of seals and fuinjutsu, Naruto looked more like a sealing scroll than a human being. Neji's breath hitched, gripping the bed railings.

"I…" He started, choking on the words. "I…heard from a few of our comrades…you only have a ten percent chance of survival. Those are incredibly steep odds…aren't they, Naruto? Ten percent chance of living…at least…at least it's not impossible. Remember what they said of our fight…? How it was _impossible_ and _improbable_ for you to win? Our skills had differed when we first met in the Forest of Death, I used to think you were the lowest of the low, the weakest and a coward…but…now…I see it as clear as day…I…I was weak. I was the coward. You showed me the way, the flaws in my way of thinking. Destiny…if destiny is real…then you are destined to rise again, stronger than you ever were before. Someone like you…selfless…and honorable. Do you remember our fight? You could have killed me, beaten my face into the ground until my skull broke open…you could have and you would have…I could sense it in you. But you didn't. You held back and showed how truly different we are. You fought for Hinata-sama…you said you would make me pay…" The metal bed railings bent slightly at the flaring chakra. "You were in the same position, thinking with the same thoughts of revenge…but you showed restraint…and dignity…and while actions speak louder than words…thank you, Naruto. For everything you've accomplished. I don't know if you can hear me…but…if you ever need help…I too have a curse mark…maybe when you wake, you'd like to hear of it? After all…you said we could be great friends someday…"

Once he finished, Neji nodded at the comatose boy and motioned for Lee. As Sasuke escorted the duo from the hospital room, there was an unnoticed shuffle in the bed sheets.

"…I would love to…Neji…"

* * *

"Ahri…"

Naruto leaned against the curse mark covering the great bars of Ahri's cage.

"Naruto…"

She stared at him, longingly, unable to reach for him.

"What can I do without you there for me, Ahri?" He asked, leaning the back of his head against the seal.

"Why do you keep talking?!" She looked at him with tears growing in her frustrated eyes. It was almost like a vicious flashback of her time in Kushina and Mito. The seal reacted to her every move, every flare of chakra.

Ahri punched at the curse mark interfering with the cage. "Naruto…please. I need to find a way to break this seal."

She swung once more, slamming his knuckles into the invisible field of chakra. Almost in an instant, a series of snakes sprang from the lock and wrapped around her arms and neck. From the walls, more snakes appeared, wrapping and clasping her tails together. She screamed and roared but Naruto couldn't hear her. Hell he could barely see her thanks to the giant seal blocking her from view.

"Ahri…" Naruto's voice echoed once again. "If you're there…if you can hear me…I'd like some advice right about now…something…anything…"

He was met with nothing but silence, save for the radiating magatama that covered the gigantic cage. Taking heaving breaths, he leaned his full weight into the cage, awaiting Ahri's remarks and quips. It had been two weeks of utter silence and not a sign of the Gumiho anywhere.

It has been an incredibly lonely two weeks, wandering his mindscape, finding himself for the first time, lost. He would see flashes of his life as a child, seeing those scornful eyes and hateful glares. Once he noticed them, they'd disappear. But as he journeyed and did his best to ignore the pain, the glares would grow stronger and the hate…he could almost taste it.

There was silence in these hallowed sewer halls, save for the occasional _monster_ or _demon-brat_. Those names…those words. Coupled with the growing pain in his stomach, Naruto couldn't fathom why he was here or what was going on in the real world.

Luckily for him, once he found the behemoth, he remained at the foot of Ahri's cage. Placing his head against the bars, he stared at the sewer ceiling in apprehension. Ahri hasn't said a word to him for two weeks. She hasn't laughed, interrupted his dreams nor has she tried flirting with him. Having dealt with her every day since he'd first met her during that fateful fall, she'd always spoken, every hour, every minute. She always had something to say, be it quips about his style of dress, or stories of her and her master's adventures before she was sealed. To be at a loss, met with silence for the first time didn't sit well with him.

"Is she…is she mad at me?" Naruto asked himself silently. "I-Is she…disappointed that I failed to keep myself form Orochimaru's grasp? Does she…?"

 _Monster!_

 _Stay away, creature!_

 _Vermin!_

 _Demon!_

 _You disease! No one will ever love you!_

 _Why does Hokage-sama let the demon walk among us?_

 _Failure!_

He could hear the voices screaming at him, bellowing at him.

 _Dead last!_

 _Loser!_

 _Orphan!_

 _No name, bastard!_

"I have a father…" He whimpered, bringing his hands to his head. "M-My father…is a hero…"

 _Liar!_

 _Thief!_

 _Idiot!_

 _Moron!_

 _Waste of space!_

"Y-You're not real…" Naruto narrowed his eyes at the shapeless voices. " **None of you are real!** "

Suddenly, the waters rose, slowly taking shape.

His heart raced at the sight as his stomach burned with an intense fire.

 _Demon!_

"It's those eyes…" Naruto stared at the growing crowd of faceless men and women, save for their irides burning with hatred.

 _Monster!_

"Please…" He whimpered once more, bowing his head, hiding his face between his knees.

 _Date you?! Why would I date a demon like you?_

Eyes burning with pain, he shot up to see the Konoha Nine. All of them, scorns spread across their faces. Sakura was the first to speak; her eyes glimmered with a dark gleam that was unlike anything he'd seen before.

 _Idiot…what makes you think I'd ever see a demon like you as a friend?_

Shikamaru's words cut like a hot knife to butter. Naruto shook his head, in utter disbelief of what he was witnessing.

 _You called me a friend? How can I believe that you're not trying to butter me up and eat me like a snack?!_

Choji roared, glare ripping across his features.

 _Demon…the kids were right in the academy, y'know. We should have never become friends with you._

Ino's words seared into his chest, burning like hot coals.

 _No wonder you beat me in the preliminaries, monster. You probably used your demon powers!_

Kiba threw his hand forward, ripping his claw-like nails across Naruto's face, throwing him to the watery floor below.

 _You look at me with disgust because of my bugs…at least…at least I'm still human._

To hear it from Shino, Naruto's body went weak as his stomach began to scream from the searing pain growing within.

 _I w-was lied to…I w-was blinded…because I t-thought you were strong. But you're –_

He couldn't believe his ears. "N-Not you too, Hinata…please…"

Suddenly, she threw her arm forward, bashing his chest with a powerful Shōtei strike. As he slid against the bars, a hand caught him by the collar.

 _You disgust me._

"S-Sasuke…?"

 _You monster. You freak!_

He clenched his fist around Naruto's throat, choking the life from the boy. In their scuffle, his hitai-ate slipped from his head. Before it could hit the ground, Sasuke grabbed the hitai-ate and slid it into his pocket.

 _A demon like you can never become a real shinobi. A non-human like you…can never succeed with us. The likes of you will only hold us back with how dumb and useless you are. You couldn't even protect the village! And don't give me that spiel of how powerful your father is! Obviously, your mother isn't around, so he clearly let her die. He got himself killed trying to 'save' the village and what a job he did – it took the Third almost seven years to fix your father's ineptitude. I bet…I bet they got themselves killed for the sake of letting you live alone, hoping you'd die young. After all…who would want to raise the demon child? Hokage or no, you would have been a blight on their name and legacy. I can already see it – Demon boy, son of Hokage! – An embarrassment…that's all you are, Naruto._

 _A useless…_

 _Embarrassment._

 _And the fact that you think we're friends disgusts me more than **Itachi**._

Naruto stared in silence, feeling what remained of his heart disappear. Whatever remained of the warmth, had gone away.

Suddenly, a great snake appeared, whipping Sasuke and the rest of the crowd away from the blond boy. He collapsed, barely able to cope with what they'd all said to him. Tears no longer able to fall, Naruto stared with begging eyes for the snake to save him.

"Naruto-kun~" The snake hissed in an eerily familiar voice. "What you see here is what the village will do once you wake up from your rest…"

"B-But…" His voice silent. "They didn't judge me in the fight…they didn't…"

"Well of course they didn't." The snake slithered about, surrounding the young boy. "They needed to survive and incurring the wrath of the _demon boy_ as they put it, would be going in the opposite direction. I can sense them outside of your mindscape, already preparing to kill you. Fuinjutsu markings have already been made. The moment you wake up is the moment you sign your death certificate…but there is an option, Naruto…do you wish to be free of their eyes…their glares and their hate?"

"NARUTO!" Ahri roared. "Don't listen to the snake! DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM! I'm still here! I am still here listening to you, fighting for you! Whatever you do, just do not accept anything it offers! I'm **begging** you!"

The boy showed no signs of reciprocation. Ahri winced against the tightening snakes.

"Naruto-kun~" The snake's forked tongue brushed against his cheeks, gaining no visible reaction from the blond. "The pain of the world is too great…but come with me…come to me in Otogakure…and you will never have to live in fear. Come to me and you will be respected and loved. Your father's legacy is something one shouldn't ignore…same could be said for your mother…"

"I will have to become the monster to Konoha then…" Naruto whispered, causing the snake to pause. "I…I will have to become something…I'm not willing to become…"

"Naruto…" Ahri pressed her hands on the bars, pulling with all her strength to fight back and rip the snakes that bound her. "Don't do anything stupid…"

The snake lowered his head, shaking his great head slightly. "Tis a shame really…you would have carried the Namikaze name." the snake began to slither once again. "If you won't accept my gift to you…then…you can live in pain and suffering for the rest of your life."

* * *

Suddenly, great black and purple chakra sprang from the boy in the hospital bed in droves. Practically shooting the bedsheets from his body and nearly evaporating the seals drawn onto his stomach, Naruto's body convulsed and writhed beneath the sudden pain. His heartrate had sped up beyond the considered healthy amount. The machines were going haywire and a few actually exploded. Sasuke was blown from his chair and lost the sword he was sharpening as he was smashed into the wall behind him.

The purple chakra spiraled from Naruto's abdomen, spreading around and practically eating the blond's flesh. Naruto screamed, and shot into the bed as the curse mark began to act. Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes; when the curse mark first activated in the Forest of Death, he was in full control, listening to the voices in his head, but never did it happen like this. It was almost as if…Naruto was dying.

"NO!" Sasuke roared, channeling his own cursed seal in an attempt to cancel it out. " **Kakashi! Iruka!** "

Before the Uchiha could say another word, the window burst open allowing wind, rain and glass to fly into the room filled with volatile and dangerously toxic chakra. It felt different from the Kyuubi chakra Naruto used, this chakra felt as if it were made of evil greater than evil itself. Tainted and vile to the very core. Without thinking, Iruka shot out, grabbing Sasuke and pulling him back to the wall to make sure he was safe.

"Shit!" Kakashi cursed beneath his breath. Speeding through a series of hand seals taught to him by Jiraiya in case this very thing would happen. **"Ninpo: Fuin!"**

A flurry of calligraphy shot from his palms and shot for the screaming Uzumaki. Wrapping around his body, Naruto was embraced once more in the very seals the snake had promised would be used to negate his power. Within his mindscape, it was the truth, the undeniable truth; they all feared and hated him. He looked to the snake, sinking its teeth into his stomach, shredding the flesh from his bones. This was it…this is when and how he dies.

Naruto laid into the water, letting the snake rip his stomach from his body, all the while, listening to his _friends and comrades_ sneer, jeer and cheer his demise. They stood over him, glaring and calling him things he'd wished would never leave their lips. He knew it was fake but damn it all to hell, it felt too real for him. It felt more real than anything he'd ever felt in his life. The hatred, the pain and the disgust was too much for him. What the snake told him, reminding him of his burden, of his pain, this _pain_ was a godsend. It would only be a matter of time before he could finally escape from his _comrade's_ ire.

It would only be a matter of time –

Ahri's voice was suddenly heard for the first in almost two weeks.

" **Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!** "

A great stream of fire unlike anything he'd seen or felt before, smashed against the cage and curse mark, visibly bending both in its power. Vision blurring, Naruto watched her pull her head back, shooting the flames towards the snakes latched and wrapped around her limbs, neck and tails. She howled and roared, using every ounce of her strength to fight back and save her container; her friend.

Pushing chakra into the seal, she cried out as the mark swallowed everything she threw at it, and even wove itself around to wrap around the bars for extra support. Snakes sprang from the three magatama, springing for her shoulders and legs, intending to dismember her. She knew what Orochimaru was trying to do. If he got his hands on her, then he'd have her power all to himself along with Naruto's body uncontended. She would be damned if she let that happen.

Speeding through hand seals once more, she jumped back a few feet allowing her chakra to ignite. " **Katon:** **Gōenka!** "

Shooting her head about, gigantic spheres of fire exploded from her mouth. Unlike what her master had managed to do in his lifetime, the fireballs were imbued with her demonic chakra, making the monstrosities far stronger than they could ever be. As the first barrage met the great magatama seals over her cage door, the bars bent and the black ink began to bend and melt from the constant assault. Snakes tried to restrain her but thanks to her constant and wide spread range, the curse mark couldn't keep her at bay.

Channeling a great deal of chakra to her body, she sprang forward, energy exploding off of her like a luminescent steam. Her open palm had fuinjutsu calligraphy etched into the flesh and each fingertip had a chakra flame flickering as she closed the distance with the open spaces between the bars. Once she met the bars, a great explosion of light and fire rocked the boy's mindscape. The snake was launched across the sewer and bashed into the steel walls, freeing Naruto from its slimy grasp.

Sliding against the watery floor, she grabbed the blond boy in question, caringly caressing his wounded body.

"N-Naruto?" Ahri asked in a near whisper. "Answer me…please…?"

His eyes were no longer blue, instead the color had fallen to be replaced with a light metallic grey. His mouth hung open and his abdomen looked ravaged with his intestines hanging out. Blood trailed from his open stomach and seeped into the clear waters below. Ahri tightened her hold over him, pushing his head to her chest.

"You can't die!" She shouted.

"And…" A new voice appeared. "You're not supposed to be out of the seal yet…"

* * *

"H-He's flat lining…!" Kakashi's eye sprang from his head. " **Medic!** "

"Sasuke!" Iruka grabbed the yelling Uchiha. "You can't be here!"

After a lot of shouting and protesting, the boy was placed to wait in the hallway as a plethora of medic ninja and doctors rushed into Naruto's room. It didn't take long for Jiraiya to arrive, distraught and honestly looking no better than the stressed and worried jōnin within the room already. Sasuke had half a mind to ask what was happening, or what he could do, but he knew what they would tell him. Scowling, he paced back and forth as more medics rushed in and out of the room with machines and medical utensils.

"Sasuke!" Ino called from down the hall.

The boy whipped his head around. "What is it, Ino?"

"We felt the chakra…" Sakura spoke softly. "I-It was like the chakra in the Forest of Death, Sasuke."

He looked at the two girls for a few minutes before his mind went black. Regaining his senses, he collapsed into a seat, shooting his hands to his face. "Kakashi said Naruto began to flat line. Naruto's body didn't accept the curse mark…"

Sakura's eyes were wide with fright. Bringing her hands to her mouth she felt sick once again. But before anything could happen, her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fell over, completely knocked out. Suddenly, his eyes strained to the sharingan. He sped forward before Ino could react and quickly wrapped his arms around the pinkette before she could hit the ground. Sighing at his choices of words, he laid the unconscious girl onto the hallway seats, resting her head on the final seat.

Sasuke looked over the girl, remember what they told him in the hospital after she herself was admitted for dislocating her arms and chaffing her fingertips off. He looked to Ino who had rested Sakura's head onto her lap. He nodded a thankful nod at the platinum blonde and sighed, running a frustrated hand through his raven hair. A scoff sounded in his mind as he came to realize the unfortunate truth of his team; all of their parents were dead. Team Seven was full of orphans now.

He scowled leaning against a wall with his arms crossing over his chest.

"Sasuke…" Ino said in a near whisper so as to not rouse Sakura from her sleep. "Do you…do you think Naruto will be alright?"

He could hear the hopeful tone in her voice. "I do. I really do. He won't leave us…"

"Sasuke, Ino!" Another series of voices arrived in the hall.

Both genin turned to the source to find Shikamaru running along with Choji and Team Eight following behind them. Neji's team was coming along as fast as they could with Lee being helped along by both Tenten and the Hyuuga. The Konoha Twelve panted and stared at one another with worrisome eyes, uncertain of what would happen to their beloved blond. After Sasuke got the group up to speed with what was happening, a pair of nurses rushed along, pushing through the genin with a stretcher in their hands.

Bursting through the doorway to Naruto's room, the twelve genin finally noticed the severity of Naruto's condition. They could see nurses and doctors with a defibrillator counting out before pressing the plates against his bare chest. But before the children could see more, an ANBU slammed the door shut and stood guard of the doorway. Sasuke was about to say something but the door sprang open once more. This time a pair of ANBU pushed the genin away, forcing a few against the walls while the same two nurses escaped the room with Naruto on a stretcher. Jiraiya and a few sealing specialists ran along with the nurses down the hall and to the higher floors.

Sasuke clenched his fists as the ANBU and remaining hospital staff exited the room and chased after Naruto's fleeting form. But as quickly as the sudden chaos arrived, it receded, leaving the flat lined machine's single tone to disappear. All that remained was the soft patter of rain against the hospital room floor. The Uchiha couldn't take waiting anymore and walked into the room, leading the other ten genin. Once they entered, it smelled like a mixture of wet grass and blood.

The floor was covered in great puddles of water and there were a few great spatters of blood in the mix, running against the white walls or diluting into the puddles of rain water. The bed was bent and torn to shreds and the counters were crushed. Kakashi had taken off with the crowd leaving Iruka behind to look after the room.

The genin didn't say a word and watched their former sensei collapse to the floor. His knees were weak as he held the chunin vest still neatly encased in the plastic wrapping. His knees splashed in the puddles of blood and water, eyes wide and distraught by what he'd witnessed. Clenching his fists, he brought his knuckles down, cracking the hospital tile below in his frustration.

"Naruto…" He whispered over the pattering rain. "Please…little brother…"

* * *

"A-Ahri?" The boy managed to whimper.

She didn't respond as her body had completely stopped listening to her commands. She struggled to move, despite the fact she plowed through the Fourth's seal. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, the sight unbearable. As softly as she could; her arms tightened around the blond boy, holding him closer to her body, making sure that he could have her warmth. She didn't dare turn to face the voice behind her.

"Ahri." He said calmly. "How did you break my seal?"

Once more, she kept up the silence, tightening her grip on the boy, not willing to let him go.

"I'm not mad." He added after a few moments of silence. "And…oh please let him breathe Ahri! My son can barely catch a breath with that massive rack you have."

Finally, her eyes flashed a red as she whipped her head back to face the man standing at the base of the cage. The bars were ripped open and almost looked like she had twisted them with her own might. With a flash of speed she tackled the man, straddling his chest with her fists ready to punch his face to kingdom come. His electric sapphire eyes hurt her and filled her with a mixture of regret and rage.

"I had to save him." She relented, pulling the man to his feet. "I had to do it; I used the key a little too early."

Minato sighed. "I honestly didn't think it was possible to transfer knowledge between your two halves. Well now I know…"

"None of that matters if Naruto isn't alive – what are you doing?" Ahri looked at the Fourth Hokage with wide eyes.

"He's not dead; he's gone into a catatonic shock." Minato rested his palm against Naruto's shredded stomach and channeled a small bit of chakra and soon enough, the energy roared across the young boy's torso, healing the damage almost immediately. "He should awake soon."

"It seems your nice little fail safe activated." Ahri frowned.

"No _hello Minato, how is death_?" The man asked with a raised brow.

"Oh shut up." The Gumiho frowned. "You know I had no part of that!"

Minato narrowed his eyes. "But you know who did."

The woman sighed in exasperation, running a hand through her black hair. "It wasn't him, Minato. I've gone over the fights and information for the last fourteen years since I was sealed…it's not _him_."

The late Hokage didn't know if he should feel relieved or worried at the revelation. "Any ideas on who it could be?"

"Not a clue." Ahri shook her head. Seeing the glare on the blond's face, she reached out, pressing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll avenge Kushina…my other half told you that already. You may be dead, but we will do this. What happened to her was…if I was more attentive…I could have stopped him."

Minato shook his head. "It wasn't your fault…we could never have known that there was someone like that lurking around. Either way…how is Naruto doing – I mean as a shinobi, Ahri…don't look at me like I'm dumb. How have things been for him?"

"Simply put – terrible." Ahri frowned. "He didn't even contact me until a month ago."

Minato's face lit up. "Hold on, hold on. A month ago?! From what I managed to gather…he is incredibly powerful and he used your abilities…all of this…from a month?"

The Gumiho simply nodded her head; fox ears nodding with her. "It surprised me, especially with how much chakra he has…it should honestly have been impossible to control at the level he does now – with just a month of training. Minato. He literally created the rasengan using my Orb of Deception and he didn't even know."

"Well I did base the rasengan after that attack." Minato smiled. "It seems my son is a prodigy."

Suddenly, a shuffle of clothing and rippling waters caught the pair's attention. Naruto shot to his feet, kunai in hand and sweat dribbling down his cheek and brow. His jacket was ripped open and the flesh that had once been mangled had reformed; scars barely visible. The seal had reformed, but there was the problem of the curse mark. Things weren't looking up, but at least Naruto was awake. Speaking of the boy; he shot his head around to face the two talking behind him at the base of Ahri's cage.

"W-What the hell happened here?" Naruto looked with awe. "H-How did you get out of the…"

Before he could continue his statement, his jaw dropped, mouth agape. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Y-Yondaime Hokage…erm…f-father?"

Minato's brow jumped. "How'd you know – oof!"

Instead of a punch or a shout, like he'd expected, Naruto's arms were wrapped around him, holding him tightly. Tears poured from his eyes, slowly dampening his haori and flak jacket. It was almost surreal for the pair, especially for Naruto. Unknowing of what to do, he slowly released his father and backed away to give him some space. He didn't know what to say or what even to ask. He just knew that…

"Wait." Naruto pointed at the man in front of him. "How're you alive?! Does this mean I'm dead?! But I'm in my mindscape…and Ahri is here too…wait."

 _I don't care if I die; I'll go to heaven…_

"AHRI IS DEAD AND WE'RE IN HEAVEN?!"

" **Shut up!** "

A feminine shout echoed down the darkened halls of the mindscape.

Naruto was silenced in an instant.

He looked towards his dad for reassurance but the blond man put a hand behind his head, slightly rubbing his hair. If Naruto didn't know any better, he would have seen the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Whipping his head around, Ahri was trembling, hiding behind the young Uzumaki. Whatever was coming, Naruto knew it won't be pretty.

But oh, how wrong he was.

From the shadows a gorgeous woman appeared, green apron over a housewife's home dress. With hair reaching her lower back colored a vibrant, yet deep red, it complimented her violet eyes that were filled with a strange yet familiar fire. But of course, Naruto opened his mouth, confused and blatantly admitting she was probably a demon from his dreams, her hair exploded outwards revealing almost nine long bundles of hair rising like horrific tendrils.

"W-Who are you?"

* * *

Sasuke watched the Konoha Twelve before him, dark eyes shaded softly. They were clamoring, talking with one another. The more they talked the more annoyed and slightly frustrated he became. Shikamaru stood beside him, arms crossed over his chest, also bearing the look of a slightly annoyed boy. With a sigh escaping his lips, the Nara fell back against the wall, hands slowly sliding to his pockets. Neither boy said a word but they knew whatever they were feeling, it was mutual.

Sakura had awoken from her sleep and hadn't said a word since she had. In her silence, she had taken her place next to Sasuke, awkwardly holding onto her arm, feeling a cold breeze waft against her bare skin and still damp clothes. All the shouting and confusion was beginning to beat against her ears and bother her, it was almost all too much. With everything that had happened, their shouting was doing nothing to help the situation. If anything, they were making the situation even worse, with how rowdy they were being in a _hospital_. There were still incredible amounts of wounded from the invasion, who knows what kind of nuisance they were being.

"Hey…" She called out softly. Her emerald eyes burning with a slight pain. "Hey!"

The large group quieted down, their eyes trailed to her. Ino's eyes glimmered with a small flash of shame. Sakura's words were hoarse but her eyes spoke more than her rough voice ever could. The blonde girl nodded her head at the pinkette and turned to the rest of the Konoha Twelve, sighing to herself in her own frustration. One by one, their voices fell quiet and one by one, they all finally took the time to take a breath and assess the situation –

"Why are you all so worried anyway?" A sneer sounded from across the hall.

Sakura felt a dark presence rise beside her. Looking to the source of the jab, there stood a trio of chunin with dark looks on their faces. But for the source of the evil, Sasuke's eyes were finally revealed with the sharingan already activated.

"The demon – oof!"

Sasuke disappeared from his position and reappeared with his fist in one of the ninja's guts. From what Sakura could tell, dark tattoos began to spread across his pale skin, powering his rage.

"Say **one more thing about him.** " Sasuke's voice was low and dark. " **I swear to all the gods… _he_ saved us. _He_ led us. _He_ protected us. How _dare_ you?!** "

Sasuke froze in his steps, unable to control his body. Sharingan eyes trailed down to find that Shikamaru had snared him in his family's ninjutsu. A frustrated sigh trailed from his flared nostrils. Doing everything he could to fight against Shikamaru's shadow possession, he suddenly dropped his arms to his sides and stood at parade dress before the three Chunin.

"Damn Uchiha-brat!" The victim of his punch groaned. "To think the Hokage thought of protecting you!"

"There's no Kage of the village." Another chunin glared. "I say we kill him right now. Damn Uchiha can't be trusted – he'll probably try to _test his power_ like his demon brother."

Without warning, the lead chunin shot his fist forward, digging his knuckles into Sasuke's cheek. With chakra exploding off the point of impact, the Uchiha flew back, a small trail of blood following after his ripped lip and dislocated jaw. Sasuke rolled along the tiled floor of the hospital before finally crashing against Kiba and Shino. The group of genin moved quick to pull him to his feet.

"Without a Kage, control of the village falls to the Chunin and Jōnin to keep the civilians and genin in line." One of the shinobi said with a glare. "Respect those of higher rank, _Uchiha_. Someone from a decrepit and extinct clan should understand that more than anyone."

A few wisps of wind were heard and before long, a pair of ANBU appeared. Their masks were different and instead of a katana, the two had a tanto on their backs. The genin, despite being of the lower ranks, the amount of power these _ANBU_ exuded was terrifying. Sasuke even backed away, sharingan slowly shutting off.

"Chunin."

The three immediately bowed their heads for the ANBU. "Chimi-san."

"Are these _genin_ causing you issue?" The man spoke with a soft rumble of baritone.

"The Uchiha-brat attacked me." The lead Chunin spoke, pointing out to Sasuke, all the while keeping his head bowed.

"I see." Chimi tilted his head slightly. "Clear out! You genin are no longer permitted at the hospital until further notice."

"W-What gives you the right-?!"

A tanto was drawn faster than Kiba could blink.

"I have every right." Chimi spoke.

The Inuzuka could barely process how the ANBU appeared beside him so quickly. He was certain he'd pissed himself.

"Chimi." A familiar voice sounded behind. "Let the genin go and fuck off."

The ANBU sighed, Kiba shivered feeling his breath rumble against his cheek. "Hatake Kakashi. The washed up ANBU. How quaint."

"I won't repeat myself."

In the midst of the face off, Sasuke's eyes never once left the ANBU. Something was off about them, even worse, to hear Kakashi curse for the first time really spoke volumes of what they were facing. He barely managed to turn his head to see his sensei. From what Sasuke could tell with his sharingan, the jōnin was incredibly tense, far more than he was when they faced Zabuza.

"Let's go." Chimi rose and sheathed his tanto in the same action. "The next time we see one another, Kakashi…be prepared. You don't have a Kage to protect you anymore."

Once the group disappeared, Asuma and the rest of the sensei arrived, weapons and fists ready for a fight. But with a simple wave of Kakashi's hand calmed the jōnin.

"W-What the hell was all of that Kakashi-sensei?" Ino asked, body still shaking. "Last I checked, Naruto's clones were saving shinobi of both villages and civilians! Many respect him and love him now-!"

"Ino." Asuma's voice was stern for the first time. "Enough."

"Right now, this is above any of you." Kakashi frowned. His sharingan continued to glow. "For now, go home and do not leave for anything, not even Naruto. For the clan heirs, tell your parents to meet me, they'll know where."

As the irate jōnin finally disappeared and headed out of the hospital, Sasuke finally breathed for the first time in an eternity.

"What the hell just happened?"

* * *

"Do you understand, Naruto?" Kushina gave the boy a worried look. "Right now, you have few choices to work with."

The boy collapsed into the water, running a hand through his blond hair. "Why are Ahri and I so damn important…?!"

"Your blood and her chakra." Minato frowned. "Naruto I know you love Konoha and I know that you will do anything to protect it…but you will have to leave if you intend to do any real change to the village."

"I agree." Kushina sighed. "As much as it bothers me to send you off into the wide world with Jiraiya of all the people, he's your best shot of making a difference and connecting with the remnants of our clan in the ruins of Uzushiogakure."

"I'll watch over him." Ahri smiled. "Kushina, you can trust me on this."

The redhead looked up to the Gumiho. "I know I can. We didn't have the best relationship during our time together but I'm glad you had enough tact not to tell Naruto right away of his heritage. I know he would have blurted the truth to everyone and brought an early end to his life."

Naruto glared, pouting slightly. "Y-You don't know that!"

"You literally revealed your dad was the Yondaime when your clone was dispelled with the information." Ahri rolled her eyes. "Those Sand shinobi and Konoha shinobi sure heard you."

Minato sighed, running a hand across his face. "Oh Naruto…you've made the situation far more difficult than it has to be."

"O-Okay!" Naruto glared. "In my defense, I thought you two hated me, and I never even had an idea of what either of you could POSSIBLY be. It was too much for me at the time…I just…"

Kushina pressed her hand on his shoulder, calming the boy. "We're not mad; we're worried. I know you're strong now, Naruto, but most of your enemies were defeated using Ahri's power. You can't keep relying on her chakra at every confrontation, no matter how tempting it is."

"Power of that magnitude will become addicting and you will fall." Minato added sagely. "You must gain power of your own and only use Ahri's power when you truly need it. Add a taijutsu style, learn fuinjutsu as your mother said, and learn more ninjutsu. Just do not rely on Ahri's power. It cannot become a crutch. You will stagnate and you will become a sitting duck to your enemies who will only grow and progress in strength."

Naruto looked at his parents with wide eyes. "E-Enemies? I'm just a _genin_!"

"And we understand that." Kushina shook her head. "I had a vast amount of enemies just for my bloodline, and I had more for my reputation as a shinobi."

"I have an entire village that would love to get their hands on you, Naruto, just for what I did in the Third Shinobi World War." Minato sighed. "And I'm not even talking about Iwagakure. Naruto, remember, even the smallest pebble can make the largest ripple. You might not think much of the shinobi that heard your revelation, but humans and shinobi especially, information and gossip will spread and before you know it, you could find yourself in a BINGO book with a bounty on your head."

"And that is the exact opposite of what we want." Ahri frowned. "I thought of convincing him to go AWOL and flee to Uzushiogakure to search the ruins, but I know how Konoha covets Jinchuriki and power. They would have sent hunter ninja and ANBU after him the instant he left the walls unattended."

Naruto rose to his feet, arms still crossed over his chest. "So what's the plan? I obviously don't have a choice in the matter."

"When you awake from the coma, seek out Jiraiya as soon as possible." Minato nodded his head. "Talk to him about Uzushio and beg him to take you on as an apprentice. You goal right now is to learn fuinjutsu to the point of being able to negate the curse mark. That mark will cause more harm than good in the future. It will be a good idea to rid yourself of it as soon as possible."

"Then when you're done, you will have to deal with the enemy you've had since before you were even conceived Naruto." Kushina suddenly adopted a dark look. "There is a man in Konoha that has been building his powerbase for many, many years. He is in league with traitors, dissenters, cheaters and worst of all, he was in league with Orochimaru. There was a time I was undercover as an ANBU under Sandaime-sama and infiltrated his powerbase. I was found and experimented on; if it weren't for my Uzumaki blood, I would have died…"

Naruto noticed Minato's hand tighten on her shoulder. "W-What…w-who?"

"Orochimaru knows my most powerful technique after forcing it from me. The severity of his experiments are why I had to resign from the shinobi forces." Kushina glared. "But the enemy you need to watch out for…Shimura Danzo."

Minato's face tightened into a scornful rage before disappearing. Ahri looked away slightly, tightening her arms over her chest.

"He is a thief, an evil, vile man." Kushina clenched her fist. "He stole much of our cultural artifacts for the sake of its power, he had a hand in the destruction of Uzushiogakure and the Uzumaki clan, and he had a hand in almost every conflict since the beginning of the reign of Hiruzen-sama. He controls a large sect of the ANBU called the Foundation or Root. They are ruthless and have masks of demons or terrifying animals, as opposed to the neutral expression of regular ANBU. The difference is that they are loyal _only_ to Danzo."

"He tried to get Orochimaru to become Hokage, and had a hand in a few political assassinations and even had a hand in creating unrest within the Uchiha clan." Minato frowned. "Ahri's half that is within me managed to tell me that the Uchiha clan is gone save for two, Mikoto-chan's two sons."

"It's unfortunate, how fate decided to play its hand." Kushina frowned. "Naruto, you and Sasuke could have been like cousins, or brothers at the very least. His mother was like a sister to me and I was even there to greet the young boy before I gave birth to you. Please, Naruto. Remember the name we told you, get revenge, if not for us, for Sasuke, for the Uchiha and the Uzumaki."

"Danzo is your enemy as of now." Minato frowned. "I'm sorry that we had to tell you everything like this, I'm sorry that you have to be burdened with – oof!"

Naruto wrapped his arms around Kushina and Minato's shoulders, hugging them as tightly as he could. Tears streamed down his whiskered cheeks, dampening their shoulders. The two slowly brought their arms around his back, holding him against their bodies for the first time since he was born. It was a foreign yet familiar feeling for the three. For a moment, the status of their health had been forgotten and Naruto felt he had a family. Releasing his mother, he fell to the floor realizing the height difference. A soft embarrassed laugh escaped his lips as he rubbed the back of his head. Flashing a sheepish, yet foxy grin, it seemed he inherited it from both of his parents.

"Naruto, just know that we never hated you." Minato smiled. "Your mother and I are beyond proud of you. Everything you've accomplished and done is more than any parent could ever ask or expect of their child."

"I believe that you will accomplish everything you set your mind to, dattebane!" Kushina flashed a teary thumb up. "Ahri! I will hold you up to your promise. Please watch after our son."

As Minato left Kushina's side to share a few more words with their son, Kushina grabbed Ahri and held the Gumiho close.

"I see the way you watch over my son." Kushina gave Ahri a raised brow.

Immediately, her face grew red at the implications. "N-No! It's not like t-that!"

"He takes after his father so I know he'll grow to be a handsome man." Kushina raised her brow higher. "Can you promise me that you'll watch over him? I know you want to be released from his body as much as you did when you wanted to be released from mine. I just hope that when the time comes and you are released…you don't abandon him."

Ahri's blush disappeared and was replaced with a glare. "A-Abandon him?! I just…I literally just…"

Kushina's hands quickly landed on the Gumiho's shoulders. "I'm not accusing you. I just want to hear you promise me that you will watch after him…I'm trusting you with the one thing I have left for the world. I don't know what exactly he is to you…and I know you don't owe me a thing…especially with how cold I was with you for most of my life…just…"

"I did say you could trust me." Ahri nodded at the redhead. "I will never leave his side. I already failed someone before me, I won't fail Naruto – you have my word. He and I have been through a lot, despite it being a month since we've really had the ability to talk. What a rollercoaster it has been.

* * *

"Naruto." Minato looked at his son. "You've grown into a fine man. The life of a child has long been absent in you. I can tell."

The boy in question lowered his head. "I know…I don't blame you dad, but can I know what happened? Like…you had to have a reason to have sealed Ahri within me and not in mom."

"To make a long story short, a man arrived out of nowhere and attacked us while your mother was in labor. There are two times in a Jinchuriki's life when the seal weakens; when the Jinchuriki is a woman and in labor and when the Jinchuriki is near death. This man knew this and attacked at the most perfect time to take advantage of Ahri."

"In the chaos, she escaped and for the first time in my life, I met the fox in person." Minato shook his head. "Needless to say, she was not what I expected. A fight broke out and Kushina was nearly injured and I saved you from a possibly fatal fall. Ahri began to fight the masked shinobi and brought the fight out into the clearing surrounding the hidden place your mother gave birth to you."

"As for Ahri, she was hypnotized by some strange genjutsu; her other half tells me it was a Sharingan that was familiar but also terrifyingly different." Minato crossed his arms. "Needless to say, she lost control and assumed the form of a gigantic demon fox that easily towered over the Hokage Monument. I found the masked shinobi and fought him to a standstill. Then Ahri arrived and everything else is history."

"H-How did you and mom die?" Naruto asked with tears in his eyes.

"I killed them." Ahri butted in.

"Ahri!" Kushina frowned. "You know you were under a genjutsu!"

"Please, Ahri." Minato frowned. "We spoke of this."

"Brainwashed or not, I was still the one to kill you two." Ahri looked to Naruto.

"Either way…" Naruto spoke up. "What happened…happened…as much as it hurts to know…it's also relieving to see all you reconciling after everything."

"Alright…" Minato paused. "I can feel my chakra disappearing…a few words before I go…Naruto. Find my grave, retrieve my body and with fuinjutsu as your ally, you can extract Ahri's other half. She cannot return to normal without it. Has she shown signs of bipolar disorder or shown strange patterns of sleep, or even signs of attention deficit disorder?"

"I mean…" Naruto looked to Ahri with a worried look. "Y-Yeah…all the time."

"As I expected." Minato frowned. "Like I said, find my grave and merge her Yin chakra with her Yang chakra – which currently resides in you. Only then can she really be Ahri. Oh and before I go…Ahri…Naruto will grow into a very handsome man in the future!"

Ahri blanched and barely managed to fight the blush on her face. "Why does that even matter?!"

Kushina giggled as her body began to disappear as well. "Ahri…the cage is gone because you used the key but the curse mark remains. I know this goes without saying, but as long as that damned seal is on Naruto, you're not escaping any time soon. With the placement of the seal, it has disrupted the seal's algorithm. I trust the two of you will find a solution to the issue. And before I disappear as well; Naruto, Ahri is a beautiful woman, and immortal!"

The boy's face grew hot as his mother and father disappeared. "WHY DOES THAT MATTER?!"

But he was responded with nothing but Ahri's breathing and the silence of his mindscape. Almost like a ton of weight had fallen upon his shoulders, Naruto collapsed into the waters below, mind exploded from what had just occurred. It couldn't have been more than an hour but god, it felt like they were talking for years, filling in what they missed and couldn't be a part of. Naruto's brain was spinning at a million miles a second, reeling at the events as they passed him by as memories. He met his parents! He met his PARENTS! He almost felt his heart jump from his chest but before he could celebrate, his arms fell to his sides as their talks reverberated within his thoughts.

He now had a target; a goal to strive to defeat. Danzo was a blight on the shinobi world and had done a lot to harm his family – his clan and Sasuke's clan. This man named Danzo had a hand in a lot of conflicts and if everything about his policy leaning for war and ruthlessness, he couldn't put it past this man to have had a hand in how rough his own childhood had been. Naruto learned from his mother about the emotion training all Root ANBU had to go through and how they were known to be more brutal than regular ANBU. At this point, the boy was absolutely certain Danzo had a hand to play. Jinchuriki were technically weapons and were treated as such in other villages; Naruto couldn't imagine living a life like Haku did before he died.

"Danzo…"

* * *

"Naruto?" A voice asked worriedly. "Naruto!"

Grass crunched slightly, surprising Naruto. He groaned, his abdomen on fire and his chest as sore as the first day of training a month ago. "W-What's going on…?"

His eyes hadn't finished focusing on the world around him. He struggled and stretched his arms and back, groaning and crying out in relieving pain as his muscles loosened. Soon enough, the smell of nature, grass, trees, flowers and dung filtered into his nose. His eyes sprang open.

"What the fuck?!" His hands shot to his chest, grabbing the chunin vest wrapped around his chest with the zipper undone. On his forehead, the hitai-ate of Konoha was tied tightly. " **I'M A CHUNIN?!** "

"Urgh!" A groan was heard from across the campsite. "Shut the hell up dobe, some of us are still sleeping!"

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto asked, voice quieting a few decibels. "Sasuke?!"

"That's my name!" The boy in question groaned, body still wrapped like a caterpillar in his sleeping bag. "Don't wear it out."

"Naruto." The first voice was heard again. "How are you feeling?"

"SAKURA?!" Naruto's eyes nearly bulged from his head. "W-What is going on?!"

"Calm down kid." A deep voice was heard. "You've missed a lot of shit, Naruto…I think it's best that you take a moment to get situated and take a few hundred breaths before I let you know all that you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing yet."

"You said Danzo in your sleep. I take it that you've managed to talk with Ahri and your parents." Jiraiya frowned. "Get ready to hear that name a lot in the near future."

"W-Why?" Naruto asked with wide eyes. "What the fuck did I miss?!"

"Danzo is the Hokage."

* * *

 **Something that annoys me in fanfiction, everyone thinks the council  
** **adores the Uchiha like they're this coveted thing  
when in fact it was revealed they only cared for Sasuke because  
they didn't want Itachi on their asses**

 **Another thing that bothered me; Danzo was this guy with this whole network  
but NEVER ONCE did this asshole make a move to do something  
The Konoha Crush was the perfect time for him to simply take over  
so given how his shinobi were more active in the invasion  
this shouldn't be a surprise that he managed to take over**

 **Also, to explain why Naruto 'died' and Sasuke didn't.  
the way I see it, the Curse Mark works by the owner's will  
Sasuke in the FoD heard Sakura crying and shouting while he was in a coma  
Hearing that, he snapped and called upon the only power he had at his disposal  
The Curse Mark.  
Naruto on the other hand, he was branded at the end of the invasion and was  
hospitalized. There was no immediate danger and there was no need or want  
from his part for the power the mark could offer him. Seeing how he and Sasuke  
were similar but completely different creatures driven by differing goals in life.**

 **So Orochimaru basically underestimated Naruto's will to stay loyal to Konoha  
and his comrades. It was kinda obvious with how the Curse Mark threw his  
greatest fears and past at him in an attempt to rile him up.**

 **Either way; Next Chapter! Naruto is brought up to speed, Ahri begins to second guess herself and Sasuke reveals secrets**

 **Review!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	9. Dealing with the Aftermath

**Why hello there!  
**

 **Long time no update yeah?**

 **Well here we are with yet another chapter filled with angst and drama  
along with some seriously heartwarming scenes  
I hope at least lol**

 **ALSO; I'd love to thank MaximilianDraco on DeviantArt for letting me use his/her artwork  
as a cover photo for this story!**

 **There is a link to his/her DeviantArt page in my bio so please, check him/her out!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Dealing with the Aftermath**

Naruto sat in silence, hands resting against the tree branch beneath him. Eyes trailed above, stars twinkling like gemstones in the clear night sky. Unlike most nights, the moon was larger than usual, glowing like a spotlight against the foliage and tall trees. His whisker marks twitched slightly, having gained a greater sensitivity thanks to the medication he had been pumped with. Shivering against the rushing cold winds, he leaned his weight against his palms, unable to relieve himself of the pit in his stomach; and no, he wasn't hungry.

"Naruto." Ahri sighed. "Get some sleep."

The boy shut his eyes for a few seconds before prying the heavy lids open. "I can't."

"And why not?" She crossed her arms, unwilling and not in the mood for an argument.

"After everything that has happened and…" Naruto trailed off, sapphire eyes trailing away from the stars.

Ahri shook her head. "If anything, that gives you even more reason to rest."

"I've been resting for more than two weeks; I think I've had my fill of rest." He glared.

"Don't get hostile with me." She glared back. "I'm just worried about –"

"Hostile?" His voice rose slightly. "I'm simply stating the fucked up facts of life!"

"Hey!" The Gumiho clenched her fists. "Don't you dare talk to me like that! I made a promise to your parents to watch over you and take care of you!"

"Well it shouldn't be _your_ job!" He roared. Frustration bottled within had finally exploded. "If it weren't for **_you_** , my parents would still be alive! If it weren't for you, Danzo would have never come into power! If it weren't for **_you_** my mother would have never been experimented on by Orochimaru! If it weren't for **_you_** we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Ahri's fists released. Her red eyes glimmered slightly as tears watered. She bit her lip, clearly at a loss of what to say. "Forget I said anything, Naruto. Just take what I said into consideration."

Her voice cracked slightly, wrenching at his chest. Her expression sent shivers through his spine, shoving his body back and forth in the rumbling horror. With regret and pain radiating from his slowly beating heart, the boy released a shaky sigh. "I'm sorry, Noona. I just…meeting my parents, learning of what has happened to them, knowing Orochimaru has fucked with my life before I even existed, knowing Danzo, my dad's nemesis, has control of _my_ home…I have so much on my mind…it's almost impossible to sleep."

"Don't apologize…I know what I've done and that you honestly don't owe me an ounce of respect." Ahri leaned against a wall, a half-smile on her face. "On the subject of Danzo and Orochimaru…"

"Gods, Ahri…" The boy brought his hands to cover his eyes. Ahri shut her mouth, listening intently. "Everything…I…how can anyone expect me to do everything they've dropped onto me?" Tears began to trickle down his whiskered cheeks. Appearing before the Gumiho in his mindscape, the pain in his eyes radiated. "T-This is just…so much for a fourteen year old to handle…I just don't understand! WHY **_ME_**?! Why does it feel like some god up there is toying with my life?! Why does it feel like some sick plan, some sick and twisted joke?! WHY **ME**?! There are thousands of shinobi and kunoichi who're leagues ahead of me, who're better than me – so why the fuck was I chosen, why the fuck was I given the **_shortest fucking straw_**?!"

His body shuddered as his cries shredded through his aching body. Rage unlike anything he'd felt before escaped his body, almost evaporating into the blowing winds leaving nothing but the sore, raw and stinging empty aftermath. With strength fleeting and vision darkening, he collapsed to his knees, hands rising to shield his face. Shame had suddenly washed over him as the anger finally subsided; leaving nothing but the aftermath of his realization. Ahri stood before him, tails swishing softly, unknowing of what to say. Moments, almost full minutes crawled at a turtle's pace but, as his sobs came to a sputtering halt, through the course and scratchy voice he managed to cough up, he choked. "I…I'm _so **sorry** Ahri_ …! Y-You have taught me, watched after me even without me knowing…you've done so much for me and…and…words can't describe what I feel…how torn I feel…how can you _ever_ forgive me after what I said…? I…I just couldn't control what I said…I –!"

Suddenly, five tails slowly slithered out, bushy and as soft and puffy as his pillows. The tails snaked around his kneeling body, delicately lifting him to his still shuddering feet. His knees were weak and rattled violently as he stood before the woman he held so close to his heart. Thoughts swirled in his head like a tornado, rushing and beating against his mind and chest. He dared not to meet Ahri's eyes, fearful of that forlorn expression – and the guilt he'd caused. Unwilling to witness her hurt and pain, he bowed his head hiding his cerulean orbs from sight. She risked everything to save him from the Curse Mark, she gave him the power in the Forest of Death, she gave him the power in the Land of Waves and she gave him something like no one else before; someone to see as a sister.

But oh how cold he had been to the one person who didn't deserve such hate.

Before he could sulk any further, fingers softer than anything he'd ever felt brush against his skin, wrapped around his chin. With a tilt of her wrist, she turned the boy's head to face her. It was then that he saw her, _truly saw her_ , for the first time at a proximity such as this. Her features were impossibly smooth, blemish free, save for the six whisker marks drawn across her cheeks. While not as gashes, they looked like tattoos. Her cheekbones were high, almost giving her slim cheeks a slight puffed appearance. As his eyes trailed, his heart jumped at the sight of her lips; they were wonderfully thick and adorned with a soft gloss creating that glittering amorous façade. But with such inexplicable beauty to behold, the ruby gems she had for eyes were truly the most captivating. Her irides spared no expense for that hair-raising blood-red hue, but strangely enough, despite the color, despite the dark slit she had for pupils, her eyes lacked any real malice; for now, instead, the beautiful ruby gemstones held something he'd only seen in one other person; himself.

"A-Ahri…" Naruto whispered beneath his breath. He didn't notice it until the second tear trickled down, she was crying. Noticing the questioning look, she placed a hand on his shoulder; the soft smile on her face belayed the pain her eyes. "I…"

Without warning, the tails tightened, bringing him closer to her. Surprising him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders with a strange tenderness he'd never felt before. Unlike every other time when she'd flirt or do something ridiculous, he would resist and fight back with all of his might, for some reason, he' lost all function and simply put; he melted, like never before, into her embrace. His arms and legs fell slack as her warmth passed through his cold and rough skin. His body had lost control and before he knew it, the Gumiho shouldered his entire weight. Without thinking, Ahri lovingly pressed his head to her chest, perversions and childish joking never present. A hand slowly snaked to the back of his head while the other fell to his mid back pressing him against her, relishing in the intimate embrace. The pair stayed locked within their tangle of limbs for a few moments before once again, Naruto lost control.

The two cried together, sharing an incredible warmth and a similar pain as the pair cautiously descended to the sewer floor. Still holding him against her, his head now rested upon her shoulder with hands wrapped, holding her as if she were going to disappear, as if the world were coming to an end. She tightened her grip on him, feeling his final sob rip through his body. It was so profound, Ahri could feel it reverberate in her bones. It was then that the two ended their embrace backing a distance to look upon one another, blood-shot eyes locked with a heartfelt passion never felt until now. Save for the heavy breaths and beating hearts, silence had fallen upon them. But before they could say a thing, the two shuddered for a moment, feeling the last of their pain escape their bodies. Without letting him free from her embrace, Ahri brought a hand behind Naruto's head and brought him forward.

"Naruto…" She whispered as she pressed her forehead against his. "Listen to me… **I care about you**. This for me is _more_ than just a promise to your parents; it's a promise to _you_ and _myself_. I've lost too much in my immortal life…but never have I cared _this_ much for someone…I _cannot_ and I **_will not_** lose you as well, be it to personal vices or from those who wish you harm…"

"I-I know it sounds like I'm nagging…or maybe even a tad too bossy…" Ahri added pressure. A stray tear escaped her blood-red irides. "It's because I'm worried for you…you lost your mother and father because of me…you didn't have a childhood because of me…Orochimaru and Danzo targeted you…because of me…I-I, I know I can never replace Kushina; I know I can never give you the childhood you deserved and I'm not sure if I can even remove the curse mark…but I will do what I can for you…I will…I will…"

"Ahri…" Naruto whispered back. A shaky hand rose, wiping the slowly trickling tears from Ahri's pale face. Before he knew it, her hand wrapped around his own, as she pressed her cheek into his palm. Pressing his forehead against hers, he continued. "It's fine…being my friend, being like a sister is more than what I can ask for…you deserve _so much_ better than what you've been given after the life you've experienced. From Kurama and Madara doing horrid things to you…to being sealed three times in the last eighty years…I can't imagine how lonely and pained you feel. Being here for me is more than enough Ahri; childhood be damned; curse mark be damned…if our situations were reversed…just know that I will do the same for you. I was just…so completely out of line when I…"

"Stop." She smiled. The blond prepared to respond but a finger rested on his lips shutting the boy silent. Gently gliding her fingers against his skin, her hand cupped his cheek. Her smooth the direct inverse to his rough. "You weren't wrong. I understand why you said it – you're beyond frustrated and stressed out of your mind. This is why sleep is the best medicine; it _will_ help you sort and clear your mind, Naruto. You've learned too much in such a short amount of time…I am genuinely worried, Naruto." She was responded with an indignant sigh but surely enough, the Uzumaki nodded his head in affirmation. "Now that we've got all of that out of the way…what you need is inspiration to sleep…"

Pulling their heads away, Naruto fell next to her relishing in her tails and their softness. His arm fell between them; fingers locked with Ahri's. "What do you have in mind?"

"How about a story?" She smiled as she too enjoyed the warmth and fluffiness of her tails. She tightened her grasp on the Uzumaki, sharing that same incredible warmth.

"That would be nice." He flashed the first smile Ahri had seen since he'd awoken. "What is this one about? More stories of your master or do you have something about my parents?"

"I have the perfect one." She giggled softly at the memory. "It's about your mother."

"This has got to be good." Naruto rested his head on his free hand.

Bringing her free arm behind her own head, the fluffy fox ears twitched slightly. "Well it all started a little like this…"

* * *

Morning rushed in with rays of sunlight beating his eyes like hammers. Sasuke rustled in his sleeping bag, unable to deal with rising heat and humidity. Opening his eyes, he watched the darkness of early morn disappear with the rising sun of dawn. His hand rested on the kunai sword beside his sleeping bag shuddering from the explosion of pain that rose from his tightening heart. He had a vivid dream, almost incredibly real; Naruto was calling out to him as if everything was normal. He'd responded more openly and even had a smile, surprising the blond.

Last he'd checked, Naruto was unconscious but stable. Those odds were better than when they first smuggled him out of the hospital. With a groan escaping his chapped lips, he sat up running a hand across his face. Expecting another day of carrying the unconscious blond to their destination; he was in for a surprise. His jaw dropped at the empty sleeping bag Naruto should have been in. Even Sakura and Jiraiya were missing! Jumping from the sleeping bag with the kunai sword in his hands, his sharingan came to life. Birds were chirping slightly, reminding him of his scenery.

If Sakura and Naruto were in trouble, it meant that Jiraiya was out scouting. Whoever followed them was good if even Jiraiya couldn't sense their pursuers. Not only that, but if there was an assassin or kidnapper, he or she must have been beyond a professional if they managed to dodge and evade every trap set and made by himself and the Sannin. Sasuke glared, moving through the forest floor with air in his steps. Smooth and quiet as he likes, not a single song made by the birds were interrupted by his movements. Leaning against a tree trunk, his sharingan finally took a moment to focus on the trails of footprints and chakra. Wherever this person went with his friends, they went in the opposite direction of Konoha.

Dropping to crouch, he moved along the forest floor, no taller than a regular forest shrub. Following the trail, a new one appeared, far more noticeable and profound. It was a trail of scent. The air permeated with the undeniable scent of cooking boar and steaming rice. Sasuke's nose flared at the mouthwatering aroma. Forgetting of his plan to sneak on the enemy, he rose to his feet, mind in a daze and stomach grumbling a roaring chorus. Forcing his way through the waist high shrubbery, he finally arrived at the campfire burning brightly. Skewered by a large bamboo pole, a boar was slowly roasting over the fire. On one side, Jiraiya and Sakura were rubbing chopsticks together in near comical synchronization. But the one turning the boar was familiar; his eyes almost didn't realize it.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke asked incredulously. "Naruto?!"

The boy turned around, whisker marks and bright sapphire eyes and all. "Hey Sasuke – oof!"

Sasuke's arms wrapped around Naruto's back, popping a few vertebrae as the boy lifted him from the ground. Naruto shouted out in surprise and honest terror. The Uchiha roared out a laugh of relief as he released the Uzumaki.

"Y-You're…" He was at a loss for words. "You're…"

"Awake." Naruto smirked. "I've slept enough, don't you think, bastard?"

"Damn right, idiot." Sasuke slapped a hand on the blond's shoulder. "So last night…when I heard you calling my name…"

"It was real." Naruto shrugged. "Sakura greeted me rather calmly, given everything she and ero-sennin told me."

"Damn it Naruto." Jiraiya grumbled. "Give me some respect why don't yah."

"Nah." The boy laughed heartily. "I don't think I will."

The white haired man bellowed a laugh before slicing the boar meat and giving a few to Sakura and slapping a slab of meat onto his own bowl. "Come, Sasuke. Have some breakfast, Naruto slept very little last night and managed to stumble upon a boar sleeping in the forest and brought it here. A very clean kill I'd say."

With a nod, the Uchiha fell down to the grass, grabbing a bowl. Filling it with a few scoops of rice, he snapped a pair of chopsticks. Eyes turned to Naruto, the blond collapsed next to him with a bowl of his own. It wasn't long before the four got themselves situated nicely, eating in relative silence, of course save for the few bouts of small talk and worried questions directed in the blond's direction. Sasuke though, placed his chopsticks down and reached over grabbing the kunai sword.

"Naruto." He started, gaining the boy's attention. "Here…I used it and kept it sharp and clean while you were out."

He took the sword and rested it into his lap. "Thank you, Sasuke."

"I know we're all happy now that I'm awake, I need some more context." Naruto finally spoke as the group descended into silence. "What exactly happened? Where are the rest of our friends?"

"Alright." Sasuke sighed, as he downed a small tomato. "We had all just been cleared from the hospital…"

* * *

"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked with a worried look in his eyes. "What are you doing out here? I thought I made my orders loud and clear that none of you were to –"

"Yeah, you did." Sasuke responded with arms crossed over his chest. "You also asked for the clan heirs to ask the clan heads to meet you – oh wait, I'm both the heir and since there are no more Uchiha loyal to Konoha, I guess that makes me the clan head. So after asking myself to find you, here I am."

"This isn't a joke Sasuke." The jōnin looked at him with a glare.

"You think I'm joking?" The boy didn't relent.

Kakashi watched Sasuke with a wary eye. "I know Naruto is your teammate and I know I instilled teamwork and camaraderie between you three –"

"Damn camaraderie!" Sasuke said with a harsh tone. "This is more than that! I am worried about Naruto, he's my brother, but with the way that ANBU acted toward us and the way you acted towards him was in no way _camaraderie_. Something is wrong and even though we're genin, we have a right to know what the hell is happening!"

"Everyone is up in arms and right now is a very delicate time." Kakashi sighed. "I know I haven't been there for you three very much but please, Sasuke. Right now is not the time for semantics."

"Let me help then." The Uchiha blurted. "I can take a few guesses as to what is really going on but if you'd trust me I could really lend a hand…"

"Sasuke." Kakashi looked at him once more, prepared with a great rebuttal, but the look in Sasuke's eyes was unlike any he'd seen before. There was no darkness in those onyx eyes of his, instead there was light, a small undeniable, unforgettable and unquenchable fire. But Kakashi had seen this before in but one other person; Naruto. With a heavy heart and a shaking sigh, he relented. "Fine. Just don't speak out of turn. The Clan Heads are a very professional people and there is a certain tact required when talking to people of their status."

"I figured." Sasuke nodded. "Don't forget, I actually am a Clan Heir, my father began to teach me of these kinds of things before the massacre."

"Alright." The masked shinobi nodded. "Then you will accompany me along the way to the meeting area."

The pair walked through the village, with Kakashi's lone eye zipping left and right. What he was expecting to pounce upon them worried the Uchiha. There were too many factors in play now that Sasuke didn't know of. A shaky hand rested on the kunai sword strapped to his waist, weary of the weight resting on his shoulders. He narrowed his eyes as the onyx color of his irides bled into the tri-tomoe sharingan. He watched the rooftops, all the while ignoring the civilians walking about, tumbling over debris still remaining on the streets. But as much as he tried to truly ignore them, there were a few that really caught his attention.

A few banging hammers and clouds of splinters and dust, a call and ringing bell was heard. Construction came to an immediate halt as men jumped from the pillars and bamboo beams. Their feet clapped against the dirt road, kicking up more clouds of dust. Across the way, a small army of women were cutting up vegetables and boiling a sea of soup. The men and women clamored for lunch as bowls were hastily filled. Their voices were growing with volume and soon enough, laughter echoed from the gathered group of rebuilders. Sasuke smiled softly to himself, watching the civilians do something other than annoy him.

"Sasuke." Kakashi's gruff voice broke the Uchiha's watch. "Eyes up."

Whipping his head, his sharingan eyes focused on a few civilians walking their way. Judging by their first appearance, they were a part of the displaced populace. Many of these people lost their homes to the invasion. As far as Sasuke could tell, the ringing bell caught their attention. Food was a scarcity after all. With destruction as wide-spread as this, Sasuke imagined that certain resources would be out of their reach. He and Kakashi continued on their path as the homeless parted ways for the two shinobi.

"Sensei." Sasuke said, surprising Kakashi. "I know I've been with Naruto for two weeks straight…but Konoha hadn't changed that much…has it?"

"As you waited for Naruto, the world did not wait with you." Kakashi sighed. "It moved on and now, there are a few factions in Konoha that would love to use Naruto for their own personal gain, or even go as far as kill him. And I'm not even bringing up clan politics into the mix."

"What of the shinobi forces?" Sasuke asked worriedly.

"Split between said factions." The Hatake shook his head. "Like I said; factions have sprung up with their own goals and intentions for Konoha now that Sandaime-sama has died. Tell me, what do you know of the Foundation?"

"Never heard of it."

Kakashi nodded his head. "Not surprised. Now what do you know of Danzo?"

"He's a councilman, he had a strange interest in me after the massacre but after the first few months, he never showed his face again. What of him?"

"The Foundation is an ANBU section dedicated to doing the dirty work behind the scenes that include but are not limited to; forming terrorist organizations, foreign and domestic political assassinations and the list can go on forever. At one point, I had a run in with a few of his Foundation ANBU."

"Wait, his?"

"Yes." Kakashi shook his head. "Danzo created the Foundation."

"Is there a specific recruiting process?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow. "I mean for a group as secretive and powerful as that, there's got to be one and this goes without saying, they're obviously loyal to him."

"As far as I can tell, he always goes for men, no kunoichi are in the Foundation." Kakashi reminisced. "And each member has to have a special ability that could prove useful to the corps; like a powerful Sharingan. The reason Danzo's men constantly contacted or tried to recruit me was because of the Sharingan I have. Of course, I've done enough dirty jobs and…undesirable things in my shinobi career, so adding more would not have been a good thing to put onto my conscience."

"You're telling me…" Sasuke's eyes clouded. "Wait."

Kakashi stopped, alongside the Uchiha. "What is it?"

"Sensei. You have a very successful career, right?" Sasuke asked.

"Depends on what you consider successful."

"I'm certain with someone of your reputation…" Sasuke looked the man in his lone eye. "You've come across Itachi as an ANBU. Tell me…did Danzo ever try to contact Itachi?"

"What brought up this sudden trail of thought?" Kakashi looked genuinely intrigued.

Sasuke's sharingan burned slightly, examining the men and women passing the pair by. "A gut feeling is all…"

"As far as I know…" Kakashi paused for a moment. "No. Itachi probably caught the man's attention but as far as I knew, Itachi was loyal only to Konoha."

Sasuke took a long heaving breath, feeling his chest lighten. "Of course he was…"

"You haven't spoken or even worried of Itachi since our training sessions." Kakashi spoke.

"Why did we delay in helping that old woman?" Sasuke asked. "I could have fought the Chunin Exams, I could have done so much more than what I actually did…"

"You know why."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I know _why_ I did…but I did…but _why_ did you delay us so much…? Just how fucking connected is this Danzo person?!"

"They did say you were a prodigy." Kakashi shut his eye. "Yes. I delayed us because of Danzo and his Foundation agents. You've been on his radar since the Uchiha Massacre, I learned enough of him from my time as ANBU and let me make this clear; you are _not_ to go after Danzo. Information like this could get not only us, but Sakura and Naruto killed."

"What the hell would they want with Sakura?" The Uchiha glared. "She's innocent."

"Not in their eyes." Kakashi frowned. "To them, she's guilty through association."

"What of the Clan Heirs?"

Kakashi ran a hand through his silver hair. "Think of that question, and ask yourself that again."

A growl escaped the Uchiha's throat when he realized. "They'd kill us all if they could, wouldn't they?"

"Or…" Kakashi trailed off. "Brainwash you and Naruto for their own gains. There is no happy ending for Sakura."

"How can you say that?" Sasuke glared. "After everything that has happened…after…"

The jōnin placed a hand on the raven-haired boy's shoulder. "I'm not insinuating anything of her…I'm speaking from previous experience as an ANBU. In our line of work, Sasuke…you will be forced to differentiate personal relationships and professional relationships…it's even worse when you have to evaluate your comrades as potential targets. In our line of work, anything goes, allegiances change like the winds, and treaties and pretty words brush past like leaves. I, personally, will _never_ let anything happen to you, Naruto or Sakura. You three are my students, and if anything…with all that's happened…I'm like your big brother…maybe an uncle."

Sasuke's sharingan shimmered and disappeared. His onyx eyes glowed with a slight flash of happiness. "Like hell I'd want you as an Uncle."

"What is that supposed to mean, Sasuke?" Kakashi looked aghast. "I'll have you know, I'm practically Naruto's brother through association. After all, his father was my sensei."

"No." Sasuke wore a smile that Kakashi never knew the Uchiha knew to bear. "It's the sick porn you read. I'd rather not have that influence in my life."

" ** _Porn_**?" Kakashi's lone eye twitched. "I'll have you know this is a literary masterpiece."

Sasuke's smile only grew. "My point exactly, hentai-sensei."

Kakashi sighed, running a hand against his masked face. As much as chirpy Sasuke terrified him and never ceased to amaze him, he was beginning to see the future painted with the annoyance of a damaged teenager. At least the boy wasn't moping and brooding like before. Seeing Naruto in that heart wrenching state definitely changed the Uchiha for the foreseeable better. He smiled for the first time, he even called him _sensei_ for the first time! The Hatake wasn't even sure he heard him right when Sasuke first murmured that wondrous title. It took all his strength not to do a double take when Sasuke called him that the second time; both without stuttering.

Sasuke's care and fear for his teammates was admirable and a complete contrast to what he ever let be seen. Kakashi could never stop his wrenching stomach whenever he'd hear of Sasuke's protective words and caring gestures towards the damaged and mentally scarred Sakura. Someone the boy never saw as useful or even close to a _friend_ or _equal_. But ever since the tragedy that befell their pinkette, the boy was always careful of her, watching her whenever she came by to see Naruto. His worry increased when tact-less Anko spilled the beans on Naruto's unfortunate survivability.

Through all of this though; the team dynamic had never been stronger. As time passed and the enemies took their time building their power base, something good came from the shitstorm. It is a welcome change that the jōnin hoped would be permanent, it was something he just couldn't get over anytime soon; Sasuke's sudden protection and deep care for their blond comrade. He'd even unlocked the third tomoe for his sharingan due to the pain he felt for Naruto.

He didn't unlock it through combat, nor was his life in danger; he unlocked it through sheer sorrow for his friend – no, his brother. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. Sasuke was almost an entirely different person, it was unbelievable.

"Sensei." Sasuke sighed softly. "Where exactly are we heading to?"

Kakashi shut his lone eye and continued walking. "It wouldn't be a secret if I said where we were going now would it?"

"Ambiguity is the last thing I'd be in the mood for right now, Sensei." Sasuke frowned. "My mind is reeling…I feel like I'm missing something."

Kakashi's hand rested on his stiff shoulder. "You needn't worry of that for now; Naruto will be fine. Sakura will be fine and if things go well with the clans, Danzo will be taken care of in an orderly fashion."

"How certain are you that this Danzo will make a move?" Sasuke asked. "As one of these factions, you're clearly worried he might go forth with one of his ploys."

"I am at least eighty-percent sure he would make a move." The jōnin nodded. "As for the possibility of success, I can't say for sure…"

"Best guess."

"Ninety."

The reply was flat.

 _Ninety._

Sasuke froze for a moment, eyes locked with the rubble covered ground. It was a hard fought victory over the Sand/Sound invasion, and now another battle was something no one wanted. Such high possibility for something the Uchiha knew would spell destruction for the village. But still; _ninety_ percent. That is the same percentage chance of Naruto dying in that hospital. He clenched his fists, sandaled feet kicking and tumbling over the great debris.

"But there's still that ten percent chance of failure."

Kakashi's lone eye watched the boy with surprise. "An optimist, eh?"

"Be as it may…" Sasuke tried hard to fight the curl of his lips. "There really is that ten percent chance of failure, maybe if something were to happen to Danzo along the way or…his power."

"Too risky. He isn't the leader of the cruelest organization of shinobi for nothing." The jōnin quickly shot those thoughts down. "He has more than enough tricks up his sleeves to keep everyone on their toes for years."

"A stretch?"

"A stretch of the truth or no, I wouldn't be foolish enough to put it past him."

* * *

Leaves rustled as the foliage twisted and crunched beneath the insatiable weight. Pushing through the bushes and ferns, a large man with an equally large mane of hair appeared. He was burly, a little on the _big-boned_ side with thick purple rope wrapped around his waist. Strangely enough, he wore battle armor with the symbol for _food_ , the standard armor of his clan, and armed with a bo-staff. The clan head of the Akimichi had arrived.

Kakashi's lone eye eased considerably at the first arrival. "Chōza-sama, a pleasure that you'd come."

"Kakashi." The Noble clan head bowed slightly, his voice boisterous. "We've never been called like this before…something must be wrong."

"Aye, indeed there is." A gruff, yet lazy sounding voice echoed in the clearing. He was dressed in a jōnin flak jacket with a deer skin vest over the jacket. His face was marred by two scars that seemed painfully deep. Like Shikamaru, his hair looked akin to a pineapple. "Chōza. Kakashi. Oh, and what are you doing here, Sasuke?"

"It seems that I will represent the Uchiha Clan in this meeting." Sasuke bowed his head. "Shikaku-sama."

"HAHA!" He gave a soft guffaw. "My, my, Shikamaru will enjoy hearing of this."

"Jeez, Shikaku." A slightly more gentle and well-mannered voice compared to the other two was heard. Pushing through the bushes, a man with long blond hair tied into a ponytail arrived. Sky blue eyes only matched by one other person in Sasuke's class. "Ah, the Ino-Shika-Cho were the first to arrive."

"As usual."

"Troublesome as usual." Shikaku yawned. "Kakashi, have you gathered what we talked of?"

"Aye, I did." The Hatake reached into his rear pouch and removed an unmarked scroll. With a quick toss, the Nara caught the message and quickly stashed it away. "Then I ran into this little clan head wanting to join the _big boys_."

"Kakashi." Another gruff voice was heard. "The Sarutobi have arrived."

"Asuma?" The jōnin in question asked. "What are you doing here?"

Asuma looked serious, and for once, he was missing a cigarette. "I've decided to take up the mantle and become the next Sarutobi head. With my father gone and the clan in almost disarray, my people need a leader." He nodded.

"Why now?" Kakashi asked. "You've declined the title for as long as I've known you,"

"After what we witnessed in the hospital…I have a bad feeling for the future of the village." Asuma's eyes shut. "Danzo will trample on everything my father, Naruto's father, and what all the other Hokage had created and stood for."

"So I take it you're with me?" Kakashi asked. "You haven't even heard what I had to say yet."

"You are trustworthy Kakashi, despite the harsh history you've had as a shinobi." The Sarutobi nodded and shook the hands of the other Clan Heads. "Let's begin these talks shall we?"

Sasuke stood silently, dark onyx eyes watching the jōnin in front of him converse. In all honesty, he didn't know what he was doing in this clearing, completely forgetting his reasoning. Seeing such powerful shinobi talk and meet in such a shadowy, and completely shady area, made his skin crawl. Knowing what ANBU could do, he could barely imagine what a Foundation agent could do. Spying was essential to a shinobi, so Sasuke had every right to be as paranoid as now.

Pledges of allegiances were made and pacts were formed on the spot. They talked and made plans and even argued slightly. Sasuke gulped hearing the talk of politics he never had in the academy or at home. He heard the worried voice, speaking of the elemental nations, namely the Land of Rock and the Land of Lightning. Then they named the clans who were still unaccounted for; Inuzuka, Aburame, Hyuuga. There were so many names being spoken, he felt that his brain would explode.

But now, with the winds shifting and the trees bending to the howls of nature, the clearing was filled to the brim with the most powerful jōnin Sasuke had ever heard of or met. Worse yet, they were arguing like children. Back and forth they spat over menial things, yelling out their disagreement. Sasuke had never been so disappointed before. Clouds drifted above them, waving past the gleaming rays of moonlight, of which, Sasuke hadn't even noticed.

The Hyuuga were concerned of clan rights, which was completely absurd. The Inuzuka asked what was in it for them, which was equally absurd. The Aburame watched in silence with their sunglasses and high collars hiding their expressions from sight. Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi and Sarutobi of course, sided with each other right from the get-go. Leaving the minor clans and the thoughts of one, Uchiha Sasuke.

Much to his relief or displeasure, not a single Clan Head paid him attention. The closest thing he had been to being seen was when Shikaku called his name – and that was five hours ago – and the man was sitting right next to him against a tree! He showed respect, bowed to each Clan Head and even used all the proper titles and suffixes, but not a single one of them batted an eye in his direction. Some clasped each other for a hug or a small exchange of kind words but no one bowed back to the young Uchiha. But as soon as Kakashi spoke, bringing the Clansmen up to speed, chaos broke loose. If Sasuke thought he were unnoticeable before, he had might as well been invisible.

So fixated on their own personal problems and political standings, not one of them could see the problem and act like a solid unit. Sasuke frowned watching with his back resting against a tree. He'd crossed his arms over his chest for so long, he was certain they were growing numb. Beside him, Shikaku Nara had his arms behind his head, dark eyes watching the clouds.

"Why don't you join the arguments, Sasuke?" The Nara asked, breaking their hour long silence. "After all, you are representing the Uchiha clan in this."

"Why don't you join the arguments, Shikaku-sama?" Sasuke responded in the same dull tone. "After all you are representing the Nara clan in this."

"Touché." Shikaku snickered, eyes never once deviating from the floating clouds. "It's troublesome to get in an argument over something as delicate as this; arguments only get loud and when things get loud, conversations, plans and debates stagnate and no one gets anywhere."

"Why not stop it?" Sasuke asked.

"Did you seriously just ask that?" Shikaku stopped his cloud watching just to give Sasuke a look.

Sheepish and slightly embarrassed, Sasuke brought a hand to the back of his head. A nervous laugh escaped his lips. "Heh, sorry."

"All in good faith." Shikaku sighed. "I won't stop this argument because the factions have already been made."

Sasuke shot from the tree. Turning his head, he looked down to see the Nara, bored face and staring at the clouds. "What do you mean?"

"I can already see the Hyuuga splitting." Shikaku stated. "Ino-Shika-Cho is held together by loyalty and the Sarutobi. Sarutobi has already stated allegiance to Kakashi so we're set. Inuzuka has no real reason to get involved since Danzo hasn't affected their clan. Aburame have a number of members in the Foundation, each member willingly joined. It's kind of fubar if you ask me, but hey, I'm just the jōnin commander of Konoha, who's basically the de facto Hokage when there isn't one so I'm involved with knowing many secrets but whatever, what would I know?"

Sasuke blanched at the sarcasm. "What of the smaller clans?"

"What of them?" The Nara snorted. "If anything, they would cream at the chance to jump the pyramid of Clan Hierarchy; especially since the only Uchiha remaining in Konoha is yourself. If say, Aburame sides with Kakashi, one of those smaller clans would join Danzo and fill in the space left by Aburame. Give and take, Sasuke. This game they – we – play only spirals into chaos when given a choice to rebel or side with the regime. Our case is a little shady – given Danzo is seen by the public as this councilman and powerful politician with a heart for war; he's not even Hokage so a lot of people might see this as a military takeover. To make matters slightly less in our favor, the Foundation is a need-to-know piece of information; almost ninety percent of our shinobi force don't know of its existence."

"But back to the factions; I would not be surprised if the Hyuuga split." Shikaku narrowed his eyes at Hiashi. "Even with the sudden care he'd taken towards his nephew and the Branch members of his clan, there have been countless years of strife and hate bottled for the Main House of the Hyuuga – in simple terms; too little, too late. The way I see it, Hiashi sides with Kakashi, taking the Main House and whomever is fit to lead the Branch, joins with Danzo under the pretense of a _better Hyuuga_. The change brought by Hiashi would be more efficient but will take a lot longer to come into fruition; the change brought by joining Danzo would be immediate, something that many of the desperate Branch members would love to have."

"The Inuzuka have their war dogs." The Nara scratched his small soul patch. "The dogs are bred for being ninja companions and aiding the Inuzuka shinobi – not Danzo and his interests. As useful and incredibly well they are at tracking and search and destroy missions, Inuzuka lacked a tact that was needed for Foundation shinobi. Emotional reconditioning – from Kakashi's reports – is still in use, something the Inuzuka could resist and remain complete hounds. Danzo wants none of that nonsense in his force so I could see the clan sitting in the side-lines, waiting for the tensions to die down – which is something I'd prefer for mine but…we can't have everything, can we."

"And lastly, the Aburame." Shikaku sighed softly, pressing his hand against his forehead. "One of the four noble clans, they have a deeply rooted history with Konoha and the Foundation. On top of that, they have powerful and incredibly dangerous kinjutsu that is well sought after by Danzo. Even though my clan, the Akimichi and the Yamanaka have a few members in the Foundation, our kinjutsu are child's play compared to the Aburame. Why I think they would side with Danzo, Aburame act as a hive, so to speak. They don't kill or fight their own, so they would be loyal to themselves and their clansmen and looking at it in a broader scope; loyal to the village and what's best for it. In their eyes, the Foundation is the _foundation_ of Konoha and her social hierarchy. To break the hierarchy because of a few unethical decisions on their parts, spells inconceivability. I can see the clan siding with Danzo the most. While most clansmen join willingly, Aburame kinjutsu require years of conditioning and work – from what I know – and it's practically a test to see if the shinobi is ready for the Foundation."

"How do you know so much?" Sasuke asked.

"Being jōnin commander has an endless supply of perks." Shikaku replied.

"Do you possibly know…?" The Uchiha paused for a moment, worried of pushing his luck.

"What is it, Sasuke?" Shikaku sat up.

He took a deep breath. "Do you by any chance, know if Danzo had ever contacted Itachi? Kakashi said he doesn't know but you are far more informed."

Shikaku was taken aback and almost uncertain of how he would respond. "…"

"You don't have to answer." Sasuke frowned. "I was worried of the answer but it seems I was given the same one."

"Sasuke." Shikaku shut his eyes. "I truly do not know if Danzo has ever contacted Itachi."

The Uchiha frowned deeper, resting the back of his head against the tree. _Why do I keep asking, why do I keep worrying, why do I keep hoping…?_

"Itachi was a special case, a once in a generation genius prodigy set above the rest." Shikaku reminisced of the boy. "I have no doubt in my mind that Danzo might have contacted him, but as far as I'm concerned – or honestly know of the situation – Itachi progressed too quickly for Danzo to get his hands on him. Itachi was leagues ahead of many – almost impossibly ahead. But if it puts ease to your thoughts; I'd say there is an eighty percent chance that Danzo has tried to whisk your brother for the Foundation."

Sasuke's body shivered for a moment, catching the eye of the Nara. "Oh…I suppose that's more than what I could ask for."

Suddenly, Aburame Shibi, Shino's father, had turned to leave. From the arguments and plots the clan heads were vying, not one of them noticed save for the Uchiha left behind. Sasuke sprang from the tree arms at his sides with beads of sweat trickling down his brow.

"Shibi-sama!" Sasuke called, silencing the arguing adults. "Where are you going?"

"I see that no one has been able to give me good reason to remove Danzo from power before he could become Hokage." The Aburame responded. "Every response and every reason has been made with personal opinions of the man and his policies. Root, the Foundation is what shinobi need to be; quiet, stealthy, ruthless and assassins. Understand, I respect the laws and the morality of Konoha and her shinobi forces, but it was Konoha and her very morals that led to the death of our beloved Sandaime and the near complete destruction of our village. Danzo is a perfect candidate for the Hokage seat, aside from the Will of Fire lacking, he holds the strength of a leader that will be willing to maintain the image of Konoha and her supremacy. Right now, Konoha is weak beyond comprehension, if it weren't for the Foundation agents patrolling the ruined walls, bandits would have raided the village weeks ago. Now, while I don't agree with Danzo and his cruelty, there must be a line between morality and efficiency. Until there comes another, more qualified and with more experience in leading and governing, the Aburame will take no part in what is being conspired here. For the sake of our friendship and for the peace of the village, neither will we speak of this night. Farewell, I hope we do not come to blows."

And with that, the man disappeared in a cloud of kikaichu beetles. Sasuke paused for a moment and thought of what the Patriarch of the Aburame had said. There was truth in what he said; it was the undeniable truth. Everything that Kakashi had said, everything that he used to describe this _dangerous_ organization, was based on personal morality and emotions. What was the difference in what the Foundation did than what regular jōnin did on A-ranked and S-ranked missions – aside from the masks and _brutal_ tactics. Shibi was right, as of now, Konoha had no candidate better than Danzo.

"Sasuke." Kakashi looked at his student. "I know what you're thinking but –"

"Sensei…" the Uchiha frowned. "I will need more reason than him being a _bad man_. Using emotions and personal opinions of his tactics aren't viable reasons. We even do the same thing as _regular_ shinobi."

"But there's a mission ranking –"

"Did that ranking system matter in the Land of Waves?" Sasuke asked with a glare. "Did the system of fights in the Chunin Exams matter when the invasion broke out? Did any of that matter when Naruto and I _killed_?!"

"Sasuke, you don't understand…"

"I understand it well enough." Sasuke frowned. "He's _cruel_ and he's _lacking_ in any true morality – that much is the undeniable truth, but what can you say of Iwagakure and Kumogakure? So much was taught of their iron fist Kage and shinobi – even worse, their treatment for Jinchuriki, like weapons. Sound familiar?"

"Haku and Zabuza were perfect shinobi and they even wore you out!" Sasuke bit his lip. "Shibi-sama was right, the Foundation _is what a shinobi should be_. Danzo had done _something_ right, he created a defense blanket for the village in its weakest moments and what are we – the most well-known shinobi in the village, plotting to strike a man down who's done nothing wrong – that I know of at least."

"It's what he might do –"

"Might?!" Sasuke clenched his teeth. "Isn't that against _everything_ we've learned in the academy? Removing the problem before it exists isn't exactly the morally correct thing to do either!"

"In these trying times…" Kakashi frowned. "Some things need to be forsaken for the sake of peace."

Sasuke stared at his sensei, confused and honestly worried of who this man was. There was no way this was the same man who'd talked him through the process, who'd trained him. Something was off about the entire situation and the boy needed to know. But it seemed the more questions he asked, the more he felt he was going in circles.

"Why do we need to remove Danzo so badly?" he asked with a glare. "What is the worst possible thing that could happen? He gets his hands on Naruto and I, what then?"

Kakashi looked to the remaining Clan Heads and sighed. "Naruto loses emotions and loses his identity and lives a life with a single purpose – be Danzo's personal weapon. You on the other hand…"

"What about me?"

"Itachi will happen."

* * *

"Itachi?" Naruto asked with wide eyes. "But…is he still planning on killing you?!"

"Turns out I was wrong." Sasuke clenched his fist, snapping one of his chopsticks. "There are a lot of things that I…that I just never knew…"

Grass crunched and twigs snapped in the early morning, catching the attention of the four ninja. Naruto expertly placed his bowl and chopsticks down all the while drawing out his kunai sword. Before him stood a man with long black hair and a large black cloak over his body. Naruto didn't know the man or what his deal was – all he knew, if the man took another step, he'd cut him to ribbons. Before he could make a move, both Ahri and Sasuke reached out and grabbed him, keeping him still.

"No…" Sasuke said in a near whisper.

"Who is that?"

"Naruto." Sasuke took a deep breath. "This is my brother…Uchiha Itachi."

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun." The man in question spoke. "I am glad the son of the Yondaime has awoken, we have much to speak of."

"But I'm not done yet." Sasuke scowled.

Instead of responding to the indignant sounding Uchiha, Itachi simply poked his forehead garnering a giggle from Sakura. Without words able to process, Sasuke collapsed back to his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. Naruto though paid the entire scene no attention and stared at the man accused for killing his entire clan. He would have never pictured a shinobi with that kind of title to look so…brotherly.

"You can finish the story when we get to our destination, Sasuke." Itachi smiled. "Naruto-kun, I believe congratulations are in order for your promotion to Chunin."

"T-Thank you…?" Naruto stared at the man in front of him, unable to fight the shiver crawling up his spine.

"As the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, there is something you need to know." Itachi began. "You are being hunted."

"I already know that." Naruto snapped from his stupor. "There's a reason we're in the forest and not in Konoha…by the way…how is Konoha?"

Sakura and Sasuke fell silent. The blond whipped his head back to his sensei to find even Jiraiya looking down in silence, hands still and wrapped around the edges of his bowl. It seemed that Itachi was the only one unaffected by his question.

"Danzo is not your only enemy and neither is Orochimaru." Itachi spoke. "I have information that is paramount to both you and Sasuke. He already knows; thankfully, you're awake so I won't have to delay any longer."

"What is it?"

"After the massacre, I went searching for a group known as the Akatsuki to learn their intentions. It turns out, the group is after the Jinchuriki for the tailed beasts within them. The Akatsuki don't care for the vessel, they only care for what they carry." Itachi frowned. "So far, two Jinchuriki have been killed and their Bijuu extracted."

 _What…? How c-could a group be so cold and heartless?_

"This is bad." Ahri glared. "This is really bad…"

 _What do you mean?_ Naruto asked.

"Kurama – the _real_ Kyuubi – is still out there…" She clenched her teeth. "If he were to get captured by the Akatsuki…the destruction would be unparalleled…"

 _Shit…do you have any idea where he could possibly be?_ Naruto was definitely worried.

"I honestly have no idea." Ahri scratched her head. "It took me months to follow his trail the first time. I can't really follow after him while this cursed mark and seal holding me within you though…and like Minato said, I'm not myself."

Itachi watched the blond with worried eyes. "Naruto. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

"My life is in more danger?" He sighed with despair. "What more does the world want from me?"

"Your life is in more than just simple danger." Itachi took a deep calculating breath. "Their ranks hold puppeteers, legendary swordsmen of the mist, immortals and some of the most dangerous criminals in the Five Elemental nations. Your life and anyone else who gets in their way is in danger."

"What more do I have to know?" Naruto ran a hand through his blond hair. "All of this is just too much! What's next?! Kakashi-sensei is dead? Konoha is a burning crisp? Please, there is honestly nothing that could be said to make things worse than they already are!"

"You're half right." Itachi said. "Konoha was a burning crisp when we smuggled you out of the village."

"W-What? But what of Kakashi-sensei?" The young Chunin asked. "Where is he?"

"I believe that is a question for Sasuke." Itachi shut his eyes. Slowly rising to his feet, the great coat and the red clouds unruffled and unfolded. "I will go ahead and scout the path. Do not be late, little brother. Jiraiya-sama, Naruto-kun, Sakura-san. I will see you there."

"Don't get into any unnecessary fights, Itachi." Jiraiya called.

A faint of a smile appeared on the boy's face. "I'm not the one who should be receiving such advice."

With parting words, the Uchiha disappeared as a flock of crows.

* * *

They had broken camp and sped through the Land of Fire making a good pace through the foliage and overgrown trees infesting, rather decorating, the horizon. Thankfully, they'd avoided border patrols and search parties – and thanks to Jiraiya, they knew there were many after their asses. Springing over branches and punching through thick canopies of leaves, night had finally come. Along within it, came rest and dinner. But for Naruto, he once again sat upon a branch far above their encampment. Legs crossed and eyes shut tight, he was channeling a small, almost untraceable wave of chakra surrounding the encampment – special thanks to Ahri of course.

While in the real world, he was quiet and practically meditating, within his mindscape Naruto stood before the Gumiho in his gut, contemplating their next move in the grand scheme of things. She was pacing back and forth staring at the great tomoe trio floating where the cage doors used to be. The boy tapped his feet against the sewer floor in slight frustration. While he'd very much accepted his fate of never ending responsibilities, it seemed that every second spent in the waking world, more weight would come from nowhere dropping upon his – and Ahri's – shoulders.

"It almost hilarious isn't it?" Ahri asked with a half-smile.

"Y'know, from Orochimaru to Danzo, to even knowing that my home is in flames…" Unable to fight his own, Naruto sighed. Eyes trailed to the ripples in the sewer waters. "I'm finding it hard to see the hilarity of this shitshow…enlighten me."

"It's just…" She crossed her arms over her chest. "All of these happened to you, almost as if you were being targeted. Like _specifically_ you."

"Mostly because of the fact that you're in my gut." Naruto added. "Also my parents were badasses."

"True…" Once more her eyes trailed to the great tomoe radiating its tainted energy. "But something just isn't right about half the shit that happened; especially this seal – why is it here…? What would Orochimaru gain from taking you? If he intends to make you his personal slave or whatever…why not simply restrain me again? He did it before."

"I mean, we did catch him in a bind before. If I remember correctly, we had him on the ropes and we even had his ass surrounded. When he first marked me in the Forest of Death, I was fighting him alone; as dumb as that was in hindsight."

She narrowed her red eyes, tapping her chin. "But why mark you with the curse mark – especially one that kills ninety-percent of its recipients? What's with the look?"

"IT KILLS NINETY PERCENT OF ITS RECIPIENTS?!" Naruto cried. "I…how…?"

Her tails sped out catching the boy before he could faint. His mind reeled from the information – how in the hell did he survive such a thing in the first place? What exactly was this monstrosity? But to know he only had a ten percent chance of living really got to him. His heart beat heavily, punching at his ribcage throwing his thoughts haywire. _I could have died for real…_

"But good thing your parents had a failsafe in the event that you did _die_." Ahri smiled. "You're not leaving us any time soon, Dong-saeng. I won't let that happen."

"I'm counting on it…" Leaning his head into her tails, he relished in the feeling. "So soft…"

It was almost like a groan. The tone and his roaming hands brought a deep blush to the girl's cheeks. He laid upon the furry pillows, completely forgetting the incredibly horrifying truth of the dark seal. Ahri stole a glance at the drifting teen, completely ignoring the fact he was caressing her tails. He looked at peace and honestly she couldn't be bothered with the seal for another moment. Tightening her tails, the fur brushed against his whiskered cheeks, causing a soft growl to escape his lips. Surprisingly, his eyes were already shut, hiding the gleaming cerulean orbs within.

"Oh Naruto…" She sighed softly. "Do you trust me?"

A near inaudible groan came from the sleeping boy.

 _I do_.

* * *

 **So yeah; we got things rolling down to who knows where?**

 **Also, Itachi is a good guy? What's up with that, eh?**

 **Review guys! Review a lot!**

 **Next Chapter: Team Seven arrives at their destination; Clans unite; and Naruto must come to accept his mission, find the last hope for Konoha; a drunkard with a horrid gambling streak - sometimes you just can't win, can you?**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	10. The Humble Beginnings

**Hey there everyone and Happy New year!**

 **I am so excited to finally get back into the swing of writing chapters  
now that the holidays are over; that means more time for me to write  
than work my ass off trying to make money lmfao**

 **So yeah; now you know why I've been so inactive when it comes to fanficiton**

 **either way!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Humble Beginnings**

The trees had finally blended into one, collapsing and bleeding together forming a never ending sea. It stretched across the land, coloring the horizon. They ran, they jumped and they burst through the ever thickening canopy of thick branches and leaves. But it meant nothing in the end; no village in sight, no structures in any direction from hundreds of miles; they were in the middle of nowhere. With great towering peaks to the east and to the North, to growing sea of green to the West, ending with Konoha to the South. As hard as it was to believe, the smoke could still be seen despite how far they'd gone.

Naruto slammed his sandals into the first tree branch he zoomed into. As the collision echoed, Sasuke and Sakura followed suit, sweat dripping from their brows. Their clothing was definitely drenched from all the perspiration, and the humidity of this summer day wasn't treating the trio any kinder. Hair stuck to their skin and their clothing, damp and practically glued to their flesh, making it impossible for their body to breath.

Despite it all, they knew the stakes, they knew they had to keep running. They'd seen their enemy not too long before. Those masks the Foundation wore was burned into their memories. Sasuke hadn't forgotten the ANBU on Danzo's side and he sure as hell wouldn't forget the carnage they'd caused during the Fall of Konoha. But to see them so soon on their tails echoed within Sasuke, reminding him that he is nothing but a child in a world of darkness. Resting his palm against the trunk of the great tree, he clenched his fist. Teeth gritting, his thoughts swirled to the first real battle they'd fought in Konoha; to his brother. Everything he'd done up until now; Zabuza, learning the Chidori, fighting and defending Konoha twice, he'd realized means nothing.

Across the branch, Sakura knelt, placing her palm on the branch below. She didn't know what to think of the situation. Her blood was running cold but ran nonetheless. While the humidity was warm, like a damp breath of air, her skin had never felt so frozen. The sweat cascaded down her back, darkening her clothing in its moisture. She'd never seen Jiraiya so angry before; she'd never seen him act so quickly before and she never thought she'd see the sight of blood so soon after the Fall. The sparks flying off clashing blades and the song the screeching metal made, were sights and sounds that haunted her.

But next to her, Naruto's right arm had begun to twitch, shaking with a deep resonating vibration. He ignored it, doing his best to look strong for his friends and team. Gripping the handle of his kunai sword, the growing shake had been halted just enough. Releasing a soft sigh, he relented once the muscles ceased. He turned back, cerulean eyes glaring into the distant conflict. Fire shot into the sky, lightning burst through trees and the earth itself rose as golems and walls. While the genin of Team Seven had fled the scene, per Jiraiya's orders, the three couldn't help but wait to see the results. After all, Jiraiya was their sensei for the time being, and it was he that told them to flee when the Foundation ANBU arrived.

Sasuke growled as he too turned to the explosive battle behind them. The Uchiha's tri-tomoe Sharingan had already awoken, spinning wildly. He had half a mind to run back there, kunai and chidori ready and activated. He'd already lost so much in his life, he wasn't about to lose another teacher. But there were just so many ANBU. Almost ten had arrived on the scene and surrounded them, tanto drawn and ninjutsu already activated. He hadn't seen a buildup of ANBU that large since the Konoha Crush.

Naruto drew his kunai sword, shaking with anger and rage. His whisker marks had darkened gaining a wilder appearance. His hair had fallen, unkempt and sticky. But his once cerulean eyes had darkened and bled into a bright vicious red. His canine teeth had extended poking from underneath his upper lip.

"Sasuke. Sakura." Naruto spoke, voice raspy. "We have to go now."

"You got it." Sasuke responded. "But what about Jiraiya-sama?"

"Sensei will be fine." The blond said in an almost shaky voice. Even he had to admit, despite the Sannin and his world-renowned skills, fighting that many ANBU would still be suicide. Confidence and ability were different than confidence in ability. Naruto would learn the hard truth sometimes but thankfully, he didn't have to take long to let the message stick. Jiraiya was risking himself to help he and the rest of Team 7 escape from the reaches of Danzo and his Foundation forces.

But before fear could continue to hold and mold him to its will, he paused. Jiraiya was far beyond just a Shinobi that fought impossible odds and won; he was more than just a legendary warrior and writer; he was all of that and then some. He created and ran the largest spy network in the entirety of the Five Great Nations. With men sprawling from the most remote and mountainous regions of Tsuchi no Kuni to the drowning depths and isolated archipelagos of Mizu no Kuni. All the information and the hype everyone held for the old, white haired geezer must have been lies if he couldn't handle such a meager challenge. Jiraiya would definitely have tricks up his sleeves to last him days if not weeks.

The fact that the old man _knew_ so much about all the inner workings, the oil that greased the Konoha Military Machine, to the dark crevices in the creases and fine print, had begun to fill the blond with much needed confidence. Jiraiya wouldn't lose to these chumps. It would be a hoot if the ANBU managed to defeat a man who probably knew more about them than they knew about themselves. Such knowledge wouldn't be thrown away to be useless in the dark unrefined recesses of the mind. The old man was many things; a pervert, a genius, a _legend_ ; but he was sure as hell never regarded as a wastrel. He used every bit of information he could get his hands on, even the bits that seemed unimportant. Naruto did stalk the man a few times, thanks to Ahri's _special training_.

That attention to detail will solidify his victory. The slightest hair out of place, the smallest blink too soon; the outline of a taut nipple a hundred feet away; Jiraiya would know and use that information to build his next set of steps in the ever changing and ever dynamic plan. These ANBU were methodical, vicious and cruel. With each strike bringing nothing but savagery and brutality. They weren't reckless, nor were they wild in their attacks. They were beyond skilled, far more skilled than most of the Shinobi Naruto had killed during the Konoha Crush. They beat him and his friends to the ground, fully intend to shove their flat headed tanto knives into the three children.

Jiraiya can beat them; Jiraiya knows how to beat them.

"I never thought I'd be agreeing with you on the point." Ahri's voice sounded for the first time in a while.

 _Same._ Naruto sighed. _I didn't think it would be possible. Jiraiya-sensei gets on your nerves, doesn't he?_

"Whatever! You know where to go, yes?" Ahri asked caringly. "Tell Sasuke to lead us to where we need to be."

"Hey, Sasuke, get in front of Sakura and I. You're the one who can lead us to where we need to go."

But before Sasuke could even grunt a response, a great explosion of fire and wind rocked the horizon behind the three. A beautiful and magnificent plume of red and orange rose into the sky, almost evaporating the rain and the darkened clouds. Sasuke froze in his steps, hand shaking against the hilt of his sheathed blade. His Sharingan eyes shook in his eye sockets. Whatever happened was far beyond any of them. Running a hand through his spiked hair, his shoulders fell slack at the sudden hand on his shoulder.

"Sasuke…are you alright?" Naruto worried. "We have to go!"

Naruto turned his head back to find the once green and brown beauty of the lush forest to be blackened with ash and clouds of growing soot. The flames spread jumping from tree to tree and eating at the away at the foliage of the forest floor. But one thing was for certain; he couldn't see Jiraiya or the Foundation agents on their tails. Groaning in frustration, he grabbed Sasuke and Sakura, pulling them close to his body.

Before the two, his cerulean eyes bled into crimson. His pupils elongated into slits. His whisker marks turned jagged and defined, darkening like deep black gashes in his cheeks. With chakra and strength burning in his arms and legs, he and his team burst through the forest canopy once again, breaking twigs and rustling leaves through the rushing winds. Behind him a small trail of blood red charka residue grew in his wake.

"Naruto." Ahri's voice echoed in his mind. "Watch yourself. There are many things that could lead to failure right now. Once you land, cancel your channeling of my chakra to conserve it for later. I don't believe for a second that we're done here. Our powers may have doubled since we first met, it still won't be enough against men who're significantly more skilled than you. Trust me, we need to get to the hideout that Sasuke spoke of."

"Sasuke…I'm probably dumb for asking this but did you tell everyone else where to go?"

"Of course!" The Uchiha dashed ahead. "Who do you think brought it up in the first place dobe!"

* * *

"Naruto!"

"By the gods; Naruto!"

"He's here!"

"I knew it wasn't the end for you!"

"YOSH! Naruto-kun!"

Silence.

Naruto stood in the midst of his comrades and friends, each one beaming smiles and even tears in their eyes. Each one grabbed for him, reaching in for a hug, almost desperate. But it all calmed down when a dark aura grabbed the crowd freezing them in their steps. Almost as if they were struggling, their arms creaked to their sides. Parting ways, the dark aura was revealed to be none other than Shikamaru Nara with his shadow possession activated. Each one of the genin present backed away revealing the young shinobi with his chunin flak jacket with a hand behind his head and a hand behind him.

"Seems you leave yours open." Shika said with a lazy look on his face. "The flak jacket works to its highest potential when it's closed, _baka._ "

The blond looked down, hands gripping the zipper and jacket with a raised brow. But before he could look up and respond, Shikamaru wrapped his arms around his shoulders, quickly pulling the blond into a hug. If Naruto wasn't so surprised, he could have heard the Nara sniffling.

"Damn it Naruto…" He hugged tighter. "I thought we'd lose you…but shit…here you are!"

The two pulled away with beaming smiles on their faces. "I'm not dying any time soon all of you! Not until I become Hokage!"

Suddenly, almost like the floodgates had been opened, the genin rushed forward once again, crying and cheering him on. Their hands clapped onto his back, and some threw their arms over his shoulders to pull him through the camp. But as the genin ran off with the blond in the epicenter of their small parade, jōnin and chunin loyal to the rebels after the Fall, watched with small smiles spread on their faces.

At the rear of the cheering children and heroes, two girls watched with small smiles. One held her arm with hot cheeks and the other seemed like a proud woman. The blond pulled her pinkette friend close with a near teary eyed smile, whispered softly.

"I told you he'd be shouting about becoming Hokage again…"

And with that, the pair rushed forward to join their friends. But as the genin disappeared into the camp, bursting over crates and barrels, the remaining shinobi went back to work. Fires were put out and tents were packed up. Men and women walked back and forth through the tent, grabbing their teams and clansmen and clanswomen preparing for the inevitable move into wherever Sasuke had planned for them. But before the children could begin to ask questions and start a wild party in the forest clearing, a man grabbed the blond haired Uzumaki and his dark haired Uchiha friend from the fray.

Aside from the collective gasp and sighs coming from kunoichi and a few sheathing blades and sharpening kunai knives, all sound had disappeared. Cloth rustled and the children present almost fell to their knees. Naruto could see their eyes mixed with both fear and respect, almost in perfect proportions. Never had he seen such glimmering amorous emotion beam in their eyes. He could swear Ino and Tenten were blushing. Sakura was holding back a giggle and a few of the kunoichi, chunin and jōnin stood just behind the group of genin with what he swears were hearts in their eyes.

The Uzumaki and young Uchiha both whipped their heads back to see none other than Uchiha Itachi. Upon his face was a simple, emotionless thin line for lips. His eyes were dark, bearing nothing, not even the glittering reflection of the sun's rays. Now that Naruto was looking at him without his mind racing back and forth from information overload, Itachi had killer eyelashes. He was taller, almost two whole feet taller than he and Sasuke were. Now, for a moment, he could have sworn he heard Ahri licking her lips.

"Naruto." Itachi spoke, getting his attention. "Now is not the time to have a celebration. While you haven't seen your friends, or been able to move or walk for over two weeks, we have a lot of plans to make. Sasuke, I need you to open the gates."

"Gates?" Naruto looked in confusion. "I don't see any gates."

For a moment, the old Sasuke returned. "Just wait and see, dobe."

There was a soft spike of chakra coming from the last two Uchiha. Within seconds, their sharingan glowed a menacing crimson, shooting off a powerful wave towards the thick and overgrown shrubbery. Almost like snails, the vines, branches and bushes bent back, withering away. Behind the foliage, a large and ever extending dirt pathway was revealed, cutting through the forest. Shinobi gasped and a few jōnin jumped from their seats on crates and weapon racks.

"We checked the entire forest!" One shouted in awe.

Another one walked up to the pair of Uchiha. "There was no dirt path! We came from that direction!"

Itachi smiled softly before making a simple move of his hands. "Never underestimate the power of Uchiha genjutsu."

* * *

Naruto stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Gone was his obnoxious orange and blue jumpsuit. Now it was replaced with a thick, near skin tight black jumpsuit top with baggy pants. The difference between his original jumpsuit – aside from the obvious coloration – upon closer inspection, instead of simple sewing patterns, the cloth and elastic material was imbued with a plethora steel hexagonal shinobi plate, almost invisible to the naked eye. Thanks to fuinjutsu and very precise measurements, honors belong to a few of the Hyuuga present, each hexagon was an individual piece of armor that dipped into the center, creating a near hollow core with raised edges.

With each raised edge, kunai and swords would have a hard time slashing and cutting against the jumpsuit. The dips were to disperse each lunge and successful stab that manages to connect with his body. Given his new aptitude for kenjutsu and all manners of swordplay, in the last two weeks of being at the Uchiha Hideout, Tenten and a few jōnin and loyal ANBU had given him and Sasuke many pointers and a few training sessions in preparation. Now at most recent count, Naruto had almost two thousand of these near microscopic armor plates. Thanks to his growing knowledge of fuinjutsu, weight was inconsequential while at the same time, not once defeating the purpose of the metal plates.

Eyes trailing below, he was greeted with the sight of hundreds of tents wrapping around the lower terraces. There were hundreds if not thousands of them, spreading in every direction around the base of the Uchiha Hideout; a large jutting castle in the middle of a great mountain range, sitting on a terraced plateau. Now that he thought of it, the hideout was literally carved from the plateau itself. It was a remarkable thing, impervious, impossible to find without the Sharingan and best of all, massive. There were easily a thousand refugees and shinobi gathered within the base and in the growing camp at the lower terraces.

Behind him, in the Grand Hall of the hideout, the well-known jōnin and clan heads were gathered around a large three-dimensional war map of the Elemental Nations, displaying forests, mountains, caverns, caves, roads and even rivers and lakes in pure detail. One of the perks apparently of the Sharingan was photographic memory. The map was ancient and probably carved by Sasuke and Itachi's ancestors. After all, there were no denoting areas displaying where the hidden villages or the borders of the Land of Fire were. All he saw were arbitrary lines drawn along rivers and mountain ranges rising and dipping through and from the war table surface.

Itachi stood at the head of the table with Shikaku, Inoichi, Asuma and Chōza standing beside one another along the length of the table. Sadly, Kakashi was nowhere to be found and not a word from the clan heads or comrades of what happened to the Copy-Cat shinobi. Turning his head from the gathered commanders, his cerulean eyes trailed below to the trees being cut and removed from the scenery to build palisades and impromptu traps and defenses. While shinobi were resourceful and incredibly smart, he doubted their ability to create walls tall enough, strong enough and thick enough to hold back the Foundation agents already on everyone's asses.

But of course, the Uzumaki wasn't someone who'd destroy their hopes and dreams. If building palisades and wooden walls brings everyone at least a small sense of peace of mind, then he was willing to take that small chance and work it to the end. Resting his palms against the railing of the balcony he populated his mind spun. Releasing his held breath, he ran a hand through his hair, struggling with the inner battle within himself. Ahri was silent, too busy plotting their next move and not once has he seen Jiraiya in the forests, bath house or anywhere on base.

If he already didn't have so much on his place, Naruto was absolutely certain there was something waiting to blow. Hyuuga were present, but not every Hyuuga. Hinata was on base, somewhere, but Neji wasn't seen. The rest of his team was apprehensive to speak of what happened to the prodigy adding more mystery to the already ambiguous air resting on his comrades and friends. But of course, he'd learned of what happened to Sakura in great detail not too long before. It broke his heart and as time went and the story progressed, his romantic view of the pinkette disappeared and was replaced with something akin to a brotherly love – he wanted to protect her.

He clenched the railing, feeling chakra rush to his palms and fingers, bending the steel pipe to his grip. His teeth barred for a moment feeling his canine teeth elongate beyond his lips. Winds picked up, causing the trees and natures foliage to sing and rustle. Slowly but surely, his cerulean eyes bled into crimson, glowing with a soft dark hue. Taking labored and deep breaths to calm down, Ahri's chakra disappeared and his features reverted to normal. He released the railing, deadpanning at the imprints of his fingers. He backed away from the balcony, eyes watching the setting sun with slight apprehension. There was a feeling in his stomach that wouldn't go away, and no, it was not Ahri.

* * *

Beyond the forests and mountains, over rivers and deeper than lakes, there was a man that stood with two purple arms hanging limp at his sides. He was hunched over, each moment spent standing, was in suffering. Every breath he made and even the smallest move was insurmountable in pain. His thin, slithering eyes glowed like soft burning embers. Upon his head, long and thin yet flowing black hair fell to his mid back, dancing in the soft breeze rushing from the many generators and air conditioning vents. He shouldn't be standing or plotting or anything; he _should_ be in bed, wrapped in bandages and recovering from the failed invasion of Konoha.

But even at Kabuto's behest, Orochimaru ignored the medic's request and commands. He had vengeance to complete and allies to appease. Danzo was his ally in the invasion and now, only one half of the deal had been completed. The Shimura slime had gained the Hokage hat and control of the village, but in his uprising and subsequent destruction of the village to a scale that not even the Konoha Crush had created, _both_ of his test subjects had escaped and were nowhere to be found. Now that Jiraiya had his hands on the two boys, Orochimaru knew it would only be a matter of time before the white-haired moron would break the algorithms.

He stood before his secret weapon, eyeing the tube of healing water. A teenage man was within the glass tank with tubes inserted into his body and torso at various places. Near him, more tubes were filled with the same healing water and fetuses. Orochimaru felt his smile grow slightly at the success of his first major experiment but the smile only spread so far before falling down to thin line of indifference. This man was simply designated as Shin. A teen born with a strange kekkei genkai that allowed him to use and safely use any other bloodline or kekkei genkai, should he have the DNA of said shinobi. Orochimaru watched the many glass tanks and tubes glow from the soft lights within.

At most, there were no more than eighty tanks, but only four of the tanks had full grown teens as well. They had similar body structure, similar muscle mass, but the best feature, these clones were lacking the debilitating cancer that the original had contracted. Originally, Orochimaru saved him a few years ago, after failing to capture Uchiha Itachi for his Sharingan. But like Kimimaro, who had cancer as well, Shin was no longer suitable to be the snake's next host. Thankfully, also like Kimimaro, Shin was too useful to simply throw away. With a kekkei genkai as precious and rare as his, it would be wasteful to dispose of him.

And Orochimaru never wasted anything.

Walking closer to the glass tank, the teen looked at ease and harmony with himself and his current status. But Orochimaru knew better. The cancer he had was new and there were no known medications or processes to help ease his suffering. Kabuto, despite all he knew and researched couldn't come up with anything. Books, scrolls and even the darker side of fuinjutsu was dabbled, but nothing was found to save Shin aside from doing something that seemed nothing more than pipe-dream. But in a last-ditch effort, just some time before the Konoha Crush, Orochimaru instructed Kabuto to remove Shin's teeth and begin to extract DNA samples and begin to cultivate them within the glass tanks.

From each major tooth, tanks were filled with healing water that was illegally obtained from Tonika Village, and The Hole. Orochimaru had his ways in obtaining what he needed and the water from The Hole was known for accelerating cell regrowth. If given enough time, the snake was certain the genetic sample could be grown into new life. It was then that the old Sannin found the truth and a new perfect plaything. While he wanted to wait to use Shin for anything more than a tool to grow and learn from, Danzo seizing control so soon and so successfully, Orochimaru had no choice but to speed his plans forward.

It made no difference in the end. Orochimaru would get more information, more ninjutsu and most of all, he will eventually get the Sharingan eyes that were harvested after the Uchiha Massacre. Some were taken by an unknown force, others were taken by his dearest ally, Shimura Danzo. Lucky or divine providence, the Sharingan rejected all the Foundation agents Danzo had tried to place them into. Out of the fifteen pairs of Sharingan eyes, not a single one accepted the new host. Spies in the Foundation were adamant that this was the truth. If their word was anything to be trusted (even after thorough poisoning, torturing and mind probing) this was the most perfect scenario the man could even imagine. There were thirty Sharingan eyes floating around in glass tanks somewhere in Konoha, most likely somewhere close to Danzo.

Gritting his teeth, he turned from the sleeping Shin. Orochimaru's hair fell to cover his face from sight, shadowed in the harsh darkness of the cavernous hideout. If Sasuke and Naruto were in Jiraiya's hands, he would need a way to counteract them and think of how to get them back into his basket of playthings. He was prideful and his ego stood taller than mountains, but he was humble enough to accept and acknowledge when he'd made a mistake. And it was a dire mistake. He trusted too much on what little knowledge he had on both children, relying on his ability to play with their emotions. As traumatized and depressed both boys happened to be, he never took into consideration their friendship. It was something that completely went over his head.

Reports always spoke of how the Uchiha and Uzumaki were against each other right from the get-go. Competing, arguing and even fighting one another, and that was before the Curse Mark. Now that he'd branded both of them, the amount of power the two could gain _together_ would be insurmountable. If the snake could lift his arms, he was certain he'd punch something. Turning his back to the walls, he collapsed against it, sliding to the floor below. There had to be something. His slithering eyes trailed back to the glowing tank holding the young Shin and all of his sudden potential. Tanks filled with other Shin clones glowed as well, shrouded in a soft cloud of steam and mist.

 _Perfect acceptance, genetic, organic or otherwise…_ Orochimaru stopped for a moment. _Perfect acceptance…_

"Kabuto!" Orochimaru hissed.

A series of footsteps and shouts were heard. Suddenly, the door beside him shot open revealing the shinobi in question with a pair of Sound jōnin at his flanks. Immediately, Kabuto's eyes shot from his head and began to shout orders. The two jōnin dropped to their knees and carefully lifted Orochimaru to his feet, apologizing and keeping their heads low. He hissed, his glare deepening as his numb – yet burning – arms swung about. While his Sound shinobi were efficient, they lacked a finesse that made transporting him more difficult than it ever has to be.

"Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto bowed his head in reverence. "What have I said about travelling about the base?"

"You have said nothing that I would listen to." Orochimaru hissed. "Gather your best men and remove the grown Shin clones from their tanks. The original needs to rest."

"What are you intending to do?"

"I intend to build an army." Orochimaru smiled softly.

"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto looked at him in confusion. "Why do we need an army?"

Orochimaru raised a brow at the medic ninja. "You must underestimate the power of the Kyuubi and the Cursed Seal of Heaven. Not only that but there are now two Cursed Seal of Heaven users that have incredible power at their disposal. If or when given enough time to recuperate, all of the Sound Five members would be useless against the two of them. Even I would be useless…"

"A miscalculation on my part, but I will fix this mistake in the best way."

* * *

Naruto stood before Ahri, arm hanging at his side. He breathed heavily, steam flowing off his now burned arm. But his strength was waning, he collapsed to the floor, splashing his knee as he clashed. His head hung down, blond hair falling to cover his bruised face. After all he'd learned and trained for, Ahri still tossed him around like a small doll. Maybe it was his fault for getting too cocky and confident with his abilities and asking, practically begging, Ahri to give him more of a challenge. Oh, how stupid he'd been.

It didn't take long for him to realize in the fight that the fox had upped her ante and began to show more unknown techniques and fighting style. If Naruto was going to be honest, she was almost as fast as Orochimaru was in the Forest of Death when it came to dispatching him in one-on-one combat. The fist fight felt more like Gaara against Lee. He stood there looking like an idiot as she zipped and zoomed past him, punching, kicking and even slapping the absolute shit out of him with her nine ever swishing tails of definite death. He was _certain_ he'd _never_ look at those fluffy, cuddly tools of death the same ever again. A part of him felt a great shudder rip through his core and spine as he gripped his still steaming arm.

 _To think I sleep on those things every night!_

"Well…" Ahri smirked. "You did beg me to go tougher on you. Beginning to regret that decision?"

Naruto glared, raising his head up in defiance. "You may be a great fox spirit with many, many, many years of experience, but I swear! I will kick your ass some day!"

"That someday not being any day soon, Dong-saeng." Ahri giggled. "Again! Hint, use your shadow clones in conjunction with your attacks!"

Bursting forward, a pair of clones jumped at the women, their fists ready and kicks already cocked back. She bent away, dodging the first barrage, and even managed to weave between the second. Whipping one of her tails around, she popped one immediately leaving behind a kunai with an explosive tag strapped to the handle. Smirking at his strategy, she sped through a quick series of hand seals, all the while jumping away to create distance between herself and her blond assailant.

But instead of a great orange and yellow explosion that was certain to tear the mindscape asunder, a massive plume of smoke rushed out covering her container within. Channeling chakra to her lungs, wind chakra was born as it spun and gathered within her reserves. Landing on a bird hand seal, she took a deep breath, merging the winds with her chakra. The effects were immediate, she released her jutsu, sending forward like an explosive hurricane, blowing the smoke and the debris in every direction, clearing the battlefield. It was so powerful, even water had vanished, taking to the air as mist and steam.

She narrowed her blood-red eyes, scanning the mindscape. Naruto was gone and she sensed a few of his shadow clones popping away in the wake of her attack. Stepping forward, as carefully as possible, the purple haired Gumiho ducked, dodging a large fuma shuriken at just the right moment. Almost in slow motion, she whipped her right hand out, generating a gathering point just a few inches off the open palm. Suddenly, chakra and spiritual energy coalesced at the central point, spinning and rotating within until it exploded into an Orb of Deception. Still in slow motion, she watched the fuma shuriken pop into smoke to reveal a Naruto clone with a kunai in his hand, and just above her, Naruto himself was falling from the air with his sword in hand.

Snapping her arm around, the Orb shot out for the clone. Using sleight of hand, she channeled chakra from her hand to an explosive tag, using a technique that Minato had learned from Kushina's mother's sealing books. The explosive seal had transferred to her flesh, giving her more versatility with the fuinjutsu. Slapping her hand upon the floor, she backed away just in time to dodge the incoming Naruto. Dodging and weaving his almost average sword swings and strikes – compared to her master – she jumped away, slapping him in the face with her tails. He stumbled, missing the explosive seal hidden under the water.

Thankfully, the Orb of Deception smashed into his clone, stealing the spiritual energy, immediately dispersing it. She jumped away, changing the Orb's return path, all the while dodging a flurry of kunai and shuriken. But just as she'd hoped, the Orb burst through Naruto's flesh, absorbing whatever chakra he'd built up to use in a ninjutsu he was charging. He stumbled weakly, mind spinning and vision growing hazy, he didn't look where he stepped.

The resulting explosion sent him flying away, jumpsuit ripped down the middle and pants shredded from the ankle to his knees with a few rough patches along the hips and mid-thigh. He clashed with the watery floor, kicking up a large cloud of steam and mist. He coughed heavily, almost numb to the world around him. He'd lost feeling in his arms and legs and his core was on literal fire. How he didn't see an explosive tag was beyond him, but he had a feeling that what happened was just another one of Ahri's secret tricks that she kept in her sleeves. Probable answer too, given the woman had incredibly large sleeves – and they didn't even cover her shoulders!

As he coughed out his defeat, he carefully opened one cerulean eye to meet with her crimson. "Fine…you win…again…"

"You cannot beat a master; at least not yet, Dong-saeng." She knelt down to meet him face to face.

She pulled him to his feet, but before he could even fancy the thought of standing, he collapsed into her arms, knees like jelly. His hands had fallen wherever, grabbing whatever. One hand fell to her waist, the other fell a little higher. They stood like that, in silence and honest disbelief – more so her. The boy had fallen asleep with his head between her breasts, a hand on one of them and the other resting against her bare thigh. Heat rushed to her cheeks garnering a soft growl from her thick, yet pursed lips. Laughing softly to herself, she bent her head down to kiss his cheek, ever so softly, so as to make sure she didn't wake him.

She could only _imagine_ what screams of surprise would come from his mouth.

* * *

Orochimaru walked with the Sound Four in tow. Each one of them slightly healed from the Konoha Crush and the subsequent battles and skirmishes they had with Sand patrols throughout the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Each one was exhausted but each one was ready to spill blood at a moment's notice. They followed their crippled lord and despite each one wanting to strike out against their owner like angry slaves; they knew they were nothing but pets for the Sannin. And Orochimaru was never too shy to beat a dog to make it comply.

Even in his weakened state, they watched him strike down a jōnin and his team of chunin for failing to protect one of his bases in the Land of Wind. How vicious he was, far more vicious than when he did have his arms. It terrified the four of them, despite how loyal they are. A part of them knew that it would only be a matter of time before he tossed them aside like broken toys, but there was that sliver of hope in their black hearts that they were useful to Orochimaru. Death would be a godsend for others under the Snake's employ, but as his most trusted guards and most useful operatives, they knew that he'd make their deaths as painful as possible to make their last moments nothing but unadulterated suffering.

No. They collectively shook their heads, memories of their old lives before falling into Orochimaru's employ flashed into their minds. The same thoughts rushed through their heads as they walked through the ever-winding halls of the hideout. It was an almost certainty that they were going to die at his hands at this point. He was never a kind leader but one that gave you what you wanted to hear as long as you gave him what he wanted to see – and what he wanted was power and strength. They knew they weren't the best and even with the Level Two Curse Marks already well underway to being mastered onto the yet undiscovered Level Three. They didn't know if he'd already found a new host or even stronger toys to break and mold into an image he found fit.

Never being much of a talker, Orochimaru walked forward in silence, sandals being the only sound he made. His mouther never once opened but he knew what they thought. Their fear gave him sustenance. Their terror filled him with more pride than them being successful Curse Mark recipients. As they should know by now, a pet should know its place at the side of the owner, or behind the owner – depending on their behavior. There was no point in differentiating slave from pet, one was somehow evil and the other was adored and preferred. He wouldn't dare to look back, no matter how hilarious their faces must have been.

Stopping mid-step, his pets stopped as well, their breaths held in their lungs. Sighing to himself he continued walking, allowing the four to breathe once again. Cruelty and hilarity fell hand in hand if done right, after all. Orochimaru was a master at it, amusing and entertaining himself through the torment he put the Sound Four through. Sure, they weren't the smartest lot but they were incredibly strong and were incredibly close to unlocking the third level of the Curse Mark with only two more levels to go until they unlock the full potential of the seal. A part of him hoped they'd never do it because if they did, he knew there would be few beings left in the world who could even hope to defeat that kind of power.

If there was one that could hold their own with that kind of power, it would have to be Sakon and Ukon. The conjoined twins would probably stay loyal to Orochimaru and serve him well, but the rest, the pitiful lot would use their powers haphazardly and end up destroying the world the Orochimaru wanted to rule and study. Tayuya was talented but listened to no one but himself and begrudgingly, Sakon. Kidomaru cared too much about his spiders and webs, he'd more likely cover the entire continent in webs and spiders than give a rat's ass about anything with that power. And last, Orochimaru still cringes every time he looked upon the unruly sight of the burly Jirobo. His least favorite of the Sound Four, he had suspicions that the fatass probably only survived because of his large size and burly bone structure.

If he had that kind of unlimited power at his disposal, Orochimaru could only count on one hand the amount of people who could have even a sliver of chance at defeating the man. Sadly, in his current state and the severity of his debilitation, he was not on that list. But hopefully, the entire situation could be rectified and any thoughts and doubts in the backs of his lackeys and their ever so supple minds would be washed out in a bath of fire and blood. Now, if his theory was anything to merit and garnered success, he'd have little to no use of the _Sound Four_.

 _After all, why have four when you can have a thousand._ Orochimaru smirked as he came to a steel door.

Within seconds, the door slid open revealing a giant atrium, the very same filled with the eighty glass tanks. Already a few of the fetuses had grown into the full-term stage and were ready to begin their development as _newborn_ children. Orochimaru smiled at the success and the speed of which the clones were growing. And if the current clones were a success to his current hypothesis, the army he intends to have would come to fruition.

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto bowed. "The test subjects have been sedated. We are awaiting your next order."

"Send your best men to all corners of the Elemental Nations and find me Senju Tsunade." Orochimaru ordered. "Tsunade will be needed if our plans are to proceed smoothly."

"Understood, Orochimaru-sama!"

A series of wisps were heard as almost twenty shinobi dashed from the atrium and out the door, leaving the Sound Four, Orochimaru and Kabuto and his plethora of medic ninja and doctors. There were consoles with glowing buttons and screens that held numbers and arbitrary measurements that for all they knew, meant nothing to begin with. But their eyes trailed back to their leader and dictator. Orochimaru walked towards the four clones strapped to the operating tables, with nothing but the white medical lights for illumination.

"I have developed a new Cursed Seal." Orochimaru spoke out to Kabuto, catching the man's attention. "It is a Cursed Seal that cannot function without its direct inverse, or else there will be chaos. I could not separate the two powers enough to create a balance without the other. I gift this clone, the Cursed Seal of Conflict."

He bent down, sinking his teeth into the bare nape of the neck. The clone winced at the pain but immediately fell slack. Once the Snake removed his teeth, a new design was revealed; a deep outline of a circle with a black tomoe within. But the tomoe had a single circle in the central bulb. Dark power rushed from the clone like a fountain but immediately calmed down, leaving the clone unharmed and vitals still stable. Kabuto's pen fell from his hand and if it weren't for his trained composure, he would have dropped his notebook.

"Now, before the body explodes, I gift this clone the power of the Cursed Seal of Peace."

Doing the same as the clone before, the clone this time, looked at peace. Not even a wince of pain was seen on the clone's face. It remained calm in its anesthetic induced sleep. He was laid peacefully into the pillows and blankets almost enjoying where he was. Suddenly, a bright white energy exploded from the clone, practically blinding everyone present in its light. But once it died down, the clone was resting like nothing had happened before and dare the Sound Four say, it even smiled in its sleep. Turning their heads to the other, the clone was frowning, almost scowling in pain.

"Kabuto, the Cursed Seal of Conflict is pure Yin chakra that I've managed to split from Yang. This clone, when he reaches physical maturity, he will have access to shadows and the darker side of ninjutsu. This clone, when he reaches physical maturity, he will have access to light and the calmer side of ninjutsu. The Sound Four are powerful but they have no way to heal after a battle, as shown by their current weakness."

Jirobo visibly scowled.

"Only a healer can heal; having nothing but destructive forces at your disposal leaves little left to use and learn from." Orochimaru spoke. "Keep Yin and Yang close, if one loses the other, chaos and imbalance of their chakra will ensue."

"Orochimaru-sama, what do we do for now?" Kabuto asked worriedly. "And what of the other clones you removed from the tanks?"

"I want them prepared for combat and given proper armament." Orochimaru ordered. "Shin is special in that each clone is a perfect replication of him, meaning, each clone also has his kekkei genkai to a Tee. Merge weapons to their flesh and they'll be able to do more than just grow and multiply. Turn these clones into living weapons. As for the rest of the clones, continue growing them and if possible accelerate the process; we lost many resources during the failed invasion, most paramount, manpower. I wish to replenish that as soon as possible."

"And when word of Tsunade is heard, you and I will head out to where ever my old teammate decided to waste her life away in."

* * *

Naruto's head was spinning, almost as if he was running at thousand miles an hour. But instead of discomfort or a stiff back like he normally would get from sleeping om the stone floors of the Uchiha Hideout, he felt nothing but the fluffiness of pillows. But these pillows were great compared to the ones he normally had; they were even warm and he swears he could hear…a…heartbeat.

With cheeks, as red as roses and burning rubies, his cerulean eyes trailed over to see that his pillows were none other than the buxom breasts that Ahri happened to have. He wanted to shout but on her fluffy white tails shot down to cover his mouth, silencing him. For a moment, he thought Ahri was awake, but her closed eyes and dopey looking expression said otherwise. He struggled to loosen himself from her vice-like grasp, but he failed miserably. Her arms were wrapped around his body, clamping him to her chest and toned abdomen. It was so tight in her embrace, he couldn't even pop the boner he knew he was growing.

Almost accepting his face, Ahri began to smack her lips and turn over to her side, bringing the terrified boy with her. Now, instead of shutting his face from talking, the tails wrapped around him and her, protecting his face from the water and floor. He wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to thank the gods or curse them for the predicament he was in. It took every ounce of his willpower (which was slowly waning with each passing moment) to not accept his fate and embrace the Gumiho back like the closet pervert he was.

Her warmth was intoxicating; her figure was carved out of porcelain; her body was probably Kurenai-sensei's dream.

But just as all hope seemed lost; a great and powerful pull was felt. Almost as if he was yanked from his mindscape, darkness disappeared and the steel walls were replaced with stone walls. Ahri was gone and he was in the real world, confused and honestly at odds with himself. He didn't know if he should be mad or glad that he was woken up. Shooting from the stone floor, he slipped his sandals on at the sound of knocking. Careful, even in friendly territory, he already had a shadow clone holding his sword in case of an assassin.

"Who is it?" Naruto called.

The voice that responded was calm. "It's Itachi. Your presence is requested in the Main hall. Sakura and Sasuke are already there."

"What's wrong?" The blond asked worriedly as he unhooked the locks. "Did something happen?"

"We finally have an idea of our next move."

Naruto slipped into his chunin vest and quickly followed after the elder Uchiha, who had now removed his cloak and donned the armor of ANBU loyal to Konoha. His katana was now strapped to his shoulder like most ANBU. His face was calmer, more serene than before and lacked the years of wear and tear as a mercenary and criminal in hiding. He was of course, a man of fewer words than his little brother, who was king broody. But Naruto couldn't help but respect the man with all his heart and felt that Itachi could even make a good Hokage. Sadly, the Hokage seat was for himself.

They walked at a steady pace, nodding their heads at the shinobi they passed by and shared very short words with those who wanted conversation. But it wasn't a long trek as they arrived in the Main Hall only to be greeted with the sound of arguing shinobi. Without saying a word, Itachi dashed forward, getting between the clan heads who were about to butt heads like rabid animals. Shikaku stood with Chōza and Inoichi with a palm to his face while Asuma did his best to hold back one of the clan heads. There were many clans that sided with Kakashi and his rebellion against Danzo, but not every clan agreed with each other.

It was to be expected; with no figure head to look up to for answers and direction, the clans fell to disarray. Some found it unfair that only the noble clans were asked and invited to the rebellion and others – the majority – did not trust the rebellion falling to the shoulders of Uchiha. Many distrusted Itachi and Sasuke, finding both to be blotches in Konoha history with many of these minor clans having lost someone to an Uchiha in the past. Tension was high in the council, almost sending the rebellion into its first schism. If they didn't find a way to merge everyone under one cause, under someone they all respected, the rebellion was as good as done.

"We are fighting for the same goals are we not?" A familiar voice sounded. "Defeat Danzo and retake Konoha, right?"

Silence was the man's response. "Who will be in power when you _do_ take Konoha back?"

"First we'll have to retake Konoha." Asuma responded as he pried the clan head away. "Shikaku-dono is the jōnin commander and the most qualified to be the acting Hokage of Konoha until a proper candidate could be found."

"Well let me stop you there." The man walked past the members of Team Seven giving them a quick wink. "I've already fund the candidate."

Everyone froze for a moment, their eyes bulging from their heads. A few looked at the man with hope in their eyes, wondering if he was speaking of himself; after all he was regarded as one of the most successful and powerful shinobi in recent history. Jiraiya was no joke and he was beyond qualified to be Hokage. Being the student of the previous Hokage who was also the student of the ones before him, the line of succession continued on.

"And no, I'm not talking about myself." Jiraiya gave himself a moment to laugh. "I'm talking about the only one who could possibly do the job; after all, it is _her_ heritage. I feel she just needs the right amount of persuasion to get on it."

"Jiraiya-sama…" Itachi gave the old man a look of confusion. "Are you talking about, Tsunade-sama?"

"The one and only, Itachi!" Jiraiya flashed him a beaming smile. "My network picked up her trail in the Land of Fire at Tanzaku-gai. It should be easy to find her, talk to her and convince her to come over to our side. But I also suspect that Danzo would be on our tails. So, I will be the new leader of Team Seven and take them with me. I will train them, teach them and mold them into true shinobi."

A series of gasps were heard and before long, every clan head, major or minor, and jōnin present voiced their disagreement and worry for Naruto and Sasuke and even Sakura. Calling them children in the mess of words and arguments. Jiraiya rolled his eyes and nodded at the three young teenagers motioning them to follow.

"Jiraiya-sama." Itachi called. "Keep my brothers and little sister safe. We've lost enough, it's about time we start winning."

* * *

"Finally, on the road again!" Jiraiya cried out to the skies. "Alright you three, now that we're a team I think it's safe to assume that you know what's coming next."

"I'd might as well start." Naruto sighed with a soft smile on his face. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto; I like rice, beef stew with Bok Choi and apples. I don't dislike anything, despite everything that's happened. As hard as it is to believe. And my dreams haven't changed much; I dream to be Hokage but I also want to free those bound in chains; mental or literal. There are too many of us worrying about things that don't matter in the end, while there are those who struggle daily just for the things we worry about. Chains bind us all y'know – someday I'll find the master key."

"I am Uchiha Sasuke." The boy started as Naruto finished. "I like tomatoes and…my family and friends." A small smile grew on Sakura and Naruto's faces. The pinkette in question walked closer to the Uchiha, which he gladly accepted her presence with a smile. "I, like Naruto, find it hard to give into hate and dislike anything, even after everything that's happened. I just feel…different about everything. My dreams…after learning the truth about Itachi…and the Uchiha…I don't know if I have one. My whole life, I believed the marvelous lie that everyone spun. It became my life and now, now that I know that everyone was a lie; life for me now…is making sure Sakura and Naruto achieve their goals. So, I guess…my dream is to make sure those close to me have only the best in life…if that makes any sense."

Jiraiya put the boy's outward introspection in his _will review later_ folder in his mind. Finally, all ears were fixated on what Sakura had to say. "I-I'm Haruno Sakura. I like jelly and being with my friends. I…"

She fell silent, almost stopping the team altogether. Her arms shook slightly as her mind grew hot with thoughts of what she liked and disliked. Her hand let go of Sasuke's arm and fell limp. Immediately, the healed flesh disappeared, flayed and bloodied with dirt and rocks imbued with the skin. Her once powerful, confident emerald eyes shrunk at the sight of her fingertips. Her breath grew heavy causing Sasuke to grab her close. Her lips quivered as tears had already begun to fall. The images of her parents faces burned into her memory with the trauma of her first real war.

"I…" She croaked in Sasuke's embrace. "I like my family…r-remembering the life they gave me, and what I took for granted. I dislike conflict and all the violence and wars…I dislike the life we've been forced into…I dislike having to fight…"

Sasuke's eyes trailed up to Naruto then jumped to Jiraiya. The group was silent watching the tears fall silently down Sakura's once pristine porcelain face. Her eyes were bloodshot, clashing with her shimmering emerald irides. She shot her arms around Sasuke, holding him as she struggled to hold herself together.

"My dream…" She said in a near whisper. "My dream is to avoid war, conflict and battle…my dream is to one day face my family without having been turned into a monster like the ones who destroyed Konoha and put them in their graves. I…"

"You don't have to say anymore, Sakura." Jiraiya spoke in a near whisper. "You three are probably the most interesting group of children I've ever had the honor of taking on as personal apprentices. We've got a ways away to go, so now that we're a good distance from the Uchiha Hideout, we can begin to learn of each other's skills."

"I can do the shadow clone technique, fire techniques and wind techniques but my arsenal is limited at the moment since I did only have a month to prepare." Naruto sighed. "I know what's called the rasengan apparently, I don't know how I made it happen, but it happened."

"Show me." Jiraiya looked at Naruto with a wary eye.

Holding out his arm without a word being spoken, great blue energy grew and coalesced into his palm. It spiraled and rotated like a whirlwind of chakra. Soon enough smaller orbs were formed around the central masterpiece before they too were stuffed into the monstrosity now spinning with at least four different rotational patterns creating a rasengan far more volatile and dangerous than the one he or Minato could make, even at their peak. With his jaw loosening and nearly falling to kiss the dirt below them, Jiraiya wiped his face and looked to Sasuke as the rasengan dissipated.

"I have a fully matured Sharingan." Sasuke started. Jiraiya nodded, giving the unspoken command to reveal it. Almost like a mirage, the dark onyx of his irides shimmered and disappeared to reveal the famous crimson irides with three tomoe surrounding the pupil in the center. "I have a large repertoire of fire techniques and the chidori."

"And what of you, Sakura?" Jiraiya stopped with the girl.

Her cheeks were pink with a hint of embarrassment. Tears gone and fear missing, it was replaced with a timid expression. She didn't have an answer to give the Sannin, nearly angering him of her inability to answer, but then it struck him. Kakashi didn't teach her a damn thing because he was too fixated on fixing Sasuke or trying to teach Naruto how not to do something. For a moment, Jiraiya shut his eyes in frustration, mind churning out insults for the Copy-Cat shinobi and his growing list of faults. If he ever saw him again, Jiraiya was certain he'd beat the ninja into the ground; being Minato's favorite student be damned.

"Alright." Jiraiya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Teamwork is essential in a battle, but teamwork is nothing if there is no skill to back the teamwork up. Sakura if I were to strike Naruto in the back of the neck or somehow managed to cut Sasuke's arm to the point he couldn't use it; how would you respond? Your silence gives me your answer. While being textbook smart is useful when lost, textbooks can only teach you so much when it comes to battle."

"From what I was told by my toads and comrades who saw your fight say that your teamwork was superb. So right now, Sasuke, Naruto. The two of you will receive a shadow clone to _hone_ and _sharpen_ the skills you already have, while I will have one-on-one training with Sakura to bring her potential to life. A team is only as strong as its weakest member. Now, it will take us a maximum of no more than four days to reach our destination; hoping that Tsunade doesn't leave to gamble her life away somewhere else."

"Y'know sensei." Naruto piped. "You have some weird friends."

* * *

"Go!"

Naruto and Sasuke dashed forward, swords in their hands. Balls of fire rushed at the pair like bullets, whizzing through the air. Leaves that fell from the trees were engulfed in their great wake of dancing flame. But the boys zig-zagged, swinging their swords with a near-professional grace. Both boys were denied using anything but their current perceptive abilities. No Sharingan, no chakra waves to sense when or where the airborne infernos were head.

Their blades sliced through the incoming projectiles as they weaved between each other, making sure not to his one another by accident. At the speed they were going at Jiraiya was genuinely worried for them, but inside, he had no fear. Their abilities were growing at a steady rate and with the team as a whole, learning skills were incredibly high for children their age. While they were no Nara, they learned and retained information like sponges.

Naruto jumped, an arm swinging out to grab Sasuke by the shoulder. Shifting his weight ever so slightly, he swung his blade around, slicing an incoming fireball in half, covering Sasuke's view in fire. Shutting his eyes for just a moment brought the downfall. He was struck in his chest with the fireball, exploding on impact. He stumbled, breaking Naruto's grip and strategy. Immediately, the pair fell to the dirt covered in burn marks and dark burn spots on their clothes. With Naruto on top of him, the pair groaned in pain as the hit did more than just disorient the two.

"Sasuke." Jiraiya's face began to form from the groggy darkness. "You need to remember to not close your eyes, no matter how worried you might be for your eyes. The battlefield will change in an instant and the moment your eyes are no longer open to take in the sides and colors, your senses – as they are now – are not enough to pick up the slack."

"Yes, sensei." Sasuke groaned.

"Naruto." Jiraiya lifted the boy from off of his teammate. "You need to be more flexible. The reason why your maneuver didn't go as successfully as you'd planned; you're moving too heavily. To weave between attacks and defend from them at the same time requires instant maneuverability. When you're moving like a rock against coming waves, the waves will crash and beat against you. Be like driftwood and move with the flow, that way, instead of having the battle weigh upon you, you direct the weight away from you."

"So, Sakura." Jiraiya called to the pinkette sitting on a rock. She had a notepad in her hand with a pencil in the other. "What would you say of their movements?"

"They're as swift as you'd honestly expect from chunin leveled shinobi." She smiled. "And despite Sasuke and Naruto not using any of their perception enhancing abilities, they managed to predict and catch most of the fireballs, save for two that passed by them and the remaining six when Sasuke got hit. Their teamwork and synchronization was on par with chunin leveled shinobi, from what I can gather. I'd rate this training session a seven out of ten."

"Oh, Sakura!" Sasuke groaned out. "Now you're being cruel. Ever since Jiraiya-sensei had you examine our fights, you've become such a cynical jerk!"

"I know right!" Naruto added. "It's almost as if you can't be pleased! Why don't you jump in and spar us!"

"No thank you." Sakura rolled her eyes and walked up to their sensei with a growing smirk, the first genuine smile in a while.

"Alrighty, kiddos." Jiraiya stretched and turned his eyes towards the walls towering over the tree line. "Tanzaku-gai is just down the road. One of my toads has told me that we'll find Tsunade in the bar with blue banners. But be careful. My toad said that he saw what looked like Foundation ANBU lurking the crowds populating the streets and alleyways."

The three children paled at the news. "H-How many?" Sakura croaked.

"He wasn't sure." Jiraiya shook his head. "Two, maybe at the most, five."

"F-Five?" Sasuke ran a hand through his black hair, finding the follicles thick with sweat already.

Naruto was about to speak but immediately clenched his teeth, feeling a deep and empty burning feeling coming from his stomach. He winced as the fire and heat grew in strength, burning through his flesh. While he was in pain on the outside, his mindscape was a different story.

Ahri watched with fear as snakes began to slither from the cursed seal floating where the gate used to be. Like abhorrent abominations, they slithered about, splashing into the water, spreading their filth through, poisoning the mindscape. They carried a scent, a powerful stench that reeked of death and decay. While Ahri may have defeated the main snake when she broke through the cage to save her loveable idiot; the snakes weren't done. She could sense their intentions. But just as she prepared to strike a spike in chakra similar to the chakra used in the snakes was sensed from the outside world.

Sasuke had fallen to the dirt, forehead kissing the ground. Sweat had begun to rush from his pores as the Cursed Seal began to pulsate with a cold, yet burning sensation. Images were gone but the pain he received seemingly returned tenfold.

Jiraiya rushed into action, speeding through hand seals, fuinjutsu calligraphy shot from his hands and into the shoulder of Sasuke and the abdomen of Naruto, spreading around their bodies and the epicenter of their discomfort. Their hissing and grunts of pain were quickly replaced with soft heaving breaths as their bodies shuddered in the shadow of that incredible pain. Taking their final struggling breaths, the two rose to sit and face their sensei with fire in their eyes.

 _He's here._

"Naruto." Ahri responded, her claws extended and eyebrows furrowed. "Keep resisting the will of Orochimaru. His snakes respond to moments of weakness; another moment where you forget yourself and what you have, I might not be able to hold them off without Jiraiya. And this goes without saying; the old hermit won't be with us all the time. There'll be no stopping the Cursed Seal from taking you."

 _Got it_.

"Orochimaru…" Sasuke breathed. "He's here. The Cursed Mark just turned tight and gave me an image of where he was."

"If you can see where he is, I can only assume he sees where you are." Jiraiya frowned. "This isn't good, but we need to get moving and find Tsunade."

* * *

 **I am so sorry for all the POV change, but I felt it was necessary  
** **writing all the talking and political stuff was too much; even for me  
now for the good stuff:**

 **Shin is a character in this and I have plans for him because holy  
shitcakes; Kishimoto literally created a canon character that's straight up  
something out of my deepest dreams for Naruto fanfiction and I intend to use him  
but seeing as how he's being used so early in the story, his views and characterization  
will be significantly different than from what the Naruto gaiden story portrayed.**

 **Also, in regards to the whole Cursed Seal thing; Shin is known for being able to accept  
any and everything and add it to his genetic makeup which is totally freaky and awesome  
Why there are two different Cursed Marks; I was struck with the revelation that  
Earth is the inverse of Heaven**

 **Can't have too much of the same thing or else I'd be pumping the  
mantra of fanfic writers; if it ain't broke, rehash and reuse it like a motherfucker  
So I created the Conflict and Peace Cursed Seals  
In a way they work in conjunction with one another. If merged together  
what basically happens is that they become Juugo and become psycho rage monsters  
That is an obvious no-no for Orochimaru - so he split the chakra in two.  
So no, the natural energy within the other Cursed Marks is not present within  
the individual Cursed Marks; only together can their insane power be tamed and used properly**

 **Think of it being a more refined version of the Cursed Marks I described were used by  
the Sound Five and Sasuke and Naruto. While still stupidly powerful, they won't create  
unstoppable rage monsters once they continue to unlock more levels  
(Which there are few levels on the new curse marks, leaving them kinda weaker  
than the other Cursed Seal wielders but more refined and accurate)**

 **Oh and Ahri and Naruto keep getting into very hot situations  
Her tits are huge man c'mon**

 **Also, Please Review guys; it really helps me out :D**

 **Next Chapter: The gang arrives in Tanzaku Gai - the blonde bimbo awaits.  
But throw in Orochimaru, an angry old man with ambitions as high as the heavens  
and a village full of angry shinobi and kunoichi just itching to get even  
** **the Boy had better release his Fox soon** **because shit's gonna get hairy quick.**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	11. You'd Best Believe It!

**Welcome once again my friends!**

 **What happened last chapter? Like no views or reviews ;-;**

 **I have another wondrously - stupidly - long chapter!(The longest I've ever written)  
I totally didn't intend it to be this long, but it will  
only be a few more chapters before the story really picks up with the  
AU stuff that will change the direction of the story**

 **Don't worry, I'm following canon for only a few more arcs  
The _real_ story will take off in a few chapters so stay tuned  
for that hot mess to come**

 **Also! The Series finale of Shippuden! ;-;  
** **the feel buttons were strong with this one**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: You'd Best Believe It!**

Naruto had been tasked with many things in his short life of fourteen bordering on fifteen years. He'd seen some shit along the way; legendary swordsmen, a snake taller than village walls; now that he thought of it, it was a _three-headed_ snake no less! He'd seen friends die and even seen a guy's back explode, only to be reformed in a near instant. And most prominent thing he'd seen along the way, despite it having been only a month and a half since he'd first seen it; one of his closest friends and teacher; A NINE TAILED FOX SPIRIT. But despite all the crazy things he'd come to witness and all the chaos and violence, he never expected to see this.

He'd only heard stories, believing them to be false. There were some among the shinobi ranks who spoke of it, almost with disdain and mockery in their tones – that is whenever they weren't taking verbal shits on his ability. This _thing-person_ that Naruto had only heard in stories was sitting before him. He couldn't believe his eyes or his strangely racing heart. He'd seen legendary shinobi; he'd seen snakes and toads of gargantuan proportions and he even has a bombshell nine-tailed fox spirit living, playing and jerking around in his gut. But for some odd reason, he just couldn't wrap his head around the image before him.

Even with his newfound knowledge and better comprehensive skills, his mind just couldn't process what he saw; what he heard. He couldn't even move from how dumbfounded he was. Finally finding enough motor skills to trail his eyes to his comrades, Sakura and Sasuke were sitting beside him with the same looks of confusion, honestly; after all the hype and confidence, there had to be something wrong from the get-go. Now, Naruto was at a crossroads; a part of him wanted to reach across the table and do things that would incite a fight; pissing off Sakura, or facepalming so loud that it would piss off Sakura. His dear teammate may be a traumatized but she was healing.

His cerulean eyes stared aimlessly at the target of his apprehension. She was over fifty years old; as old as the perverted hermit that his new sensei was. But this woman – granny – looked no older than the black-haired beauty she sat with. Her hair wasn't white but a healthy blonde that in all honesty went well with her hazel eyes; almost accentuating. Her skin was healthy, smooth and adorned with a light pink tinge growing on her cheeks, showing how absolutely drunk out of her mind she was. Her hands never left the sake bottle or the small cup that sat in front of her and her eyes never trailed from the alcohol rippling within. Now Naruto really wanted to facepalm and probably shout at the _old hag_.

 _This is supposed to be our leader?!_ Naruto shouted in despair. _Shit; at least Jiraiya is still a shinobi! Damn him for leaving me to deal with her! She's **his** teammate!_

"Someone's a little salty." Ahri giggled. "I suggest calming down a little and assessing the situation."

 _I'm just annoyed that this old hag just said that the Hokage position means nothing!_ Naruto sighed. _Hokage-jiji didn't die so his own student could shit on his memory so easily. Comrades didn't die so she can stomp on they fought and died for!_

"Got something to say, _kid_." Tsunade hissed with a slight thickening aroma of alcohol. "That glare better disappear from your face before I make it disappear."

"I'm a _chunin_ of Konohagakure, _granny_." Naruto responded with a deep glare. "I'm far from being a –"

"Then I can see why Konoha has fallen." A drunken victorious smile grew. "They've lowered their standards."

Rising from his seat, he slammed his fist into the table, denting the wood and bending the steel lining. "Alright, you _washed up hag_! My friends have given everything for Konoha, all of us nearly died trying to fight off an invasion; an invasion of _your_ grandfather's village! Have some fucking respect!"

" _Respect?!_ " Tsunade rose, slamming her palm into the table top, completely destroy it – and that was without chakra. " _Don't_ talk to _me_ about _respect_ , **_boy_**! I am Senju Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage and grandniece of the Second and student of the Third – why don't _you_ have some respect and leave me be! I am done with the shinobi life – and I sure as hell won't be rejoining only to be thrust into the Kage position!"

"Your titles don't mean shit!" Naruto glared, meeting her eye to eye. "At least we agree on something! You're far from qualified to be Hokage! Where were you when the village was attacked?! Where were you, the descendent of Kage and the _last_ Senju alive, when Orochimaru and Danzo plotted to take _our village_ ; _our home_! You were drinking your ass into submission, hiding and gambling your family's riches into the dirt!"

"Quiet boy! Konoha is no longer my home!" Tsunade roared in a drunken rage. "Konoha is nothing but bad memories and pain. There is nothing for me there, so you can take that Hokage title and shove it up your assholes! I have no need for it –"

"I remember when people called me a brat and an annoyance." Naruto glared.

Tsunade bent down, lifting her un-spilt sake bottle. "What now? A sob story –?"

"Now I know how I must've looked like before the Chunin Exams." He hissed menacingly. "A Coward. A Weakling! You're all _talk_ but obviously, you've got nothing to back it – !"

Suddenly, a chakra enhanced fist shot forward, connecting with his face. From the connecting explosion, Naruto shot back, crashing over chairs and tables until he smashed through the wall on the other side of the bar. Civilians rushed out, screaming and crying out for authorities. Once the cries and the smoke died down, Sasuke and Sakura hand disappeared from her immediate vicinity. Sasuke's sharingan glowed, tomoe spinning wildly and Sakura had taken a positon behind him.

For no more than a brief moment, she saw something. Sasuke's face paled and his narrow eyes had turned amber. His spiked hair had fallen long and wavy. The pinkette's face had grown slimmer and the emerald eyes she had, cooled and darkened into hazel. But what really hit the drunkard, the blond-haired boy was already on his feet. His hair had fallen from the hitai-ate that now laid on the floor. It was longer than he portrayed it to be; almost reminiscent to a certain man. Her heart raced, blaming it all on the alcohol – but she swears she was seeing doppelgangers of her old team.

"Alright, granny." Naruto wiped the blood from his split lip. "Wanna play? I'll play!"

Chakra exploded from his body like a soft blue luminescent glow. Without a command or request, he dashed forward, lodging his fist into the woman. Almost too confident in his strategy, he faulted when he found he was stuck. Opening his eyes, he felt the blood run from his face. She caught his fist like a professional. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled him to the other side of the bar, crashing over stools and tabletops.

 _What…the…fuck…was that?!_ Naruto roared. _That's impossible!_

"Well she is a _legendary_ shinobi." Ahri frowned, shaking her head. "She didn't get that title for being a pushover."

 _But…I've used this attack before! And no one ever managed to stop me!_

"Did you fight someone everyone knew and feared?" Ahri shook her head once again. "Oh Byeong-shin. Your over-confidence gives me joy. Some things never change. She is one of the legendary three – the Sannin and if you paid attention to the books on support type shinobi, you'd know she's the strongest and most powerful kunoichi in history."

 _URGH!_

Suddenly, the entire scene vanished. His mindscape cleared and from within the dark recesses of his mind, he could see the world around him had stopped. Tsunade was filling her cup with more sake, Sasuke and Sakura were sitting uncomfortably with him between them. Ton-Ton the adorable pig was reaching over for the bottles while Shizune, the blonde woman's aide was doing her best to calm her irate pet. This was the fifth time he and Ahri had used the mindscape world to its fullest extent, pulling through every possible reaction; every possible action; every possible outcome. Tsunade was a rock and Ahri was having a hard time understanding and deciphering what went on in that woman's head.

Her master had taught her how to read people and based on the half-drunk half-insane drivel that spilled from her lips, Tsunade would not be easily convinced. If anything, it would take nothing short of a fight to convince her to even get out of that chair. Naruto was losing patience and to be frank, Ahri was too. Tsunade was just a tough nut to crack, annoying the pair to no end at all. She bore no respect for Konoha and most importantly, saw Naruto beneath her. Right from the get-go, she looked at him with apprehension and disdain, almost insulted by his presence. Something was up and the two were going to break her walls and find out what she wasn't willing to say.

But he hesitated. Ahri hesitated. Getting into a fight in a restaurant would attract too much attention. Sasuke and Naruto were strong but the two together were nothing against trained assassin-murder-machines like the Foundation ANBU. The destruction just ten had caused to the forest was astounding and terrifying all the same; and there were five lurking in the town as they sat trying to convince a literal wall to become Hokage. Frustration grew within the blond shinobi. _I swear, I'd have more success trying to convince a block of cheese to become Hokage, than getting this woman to do the job._ Naruto slammed his palm against his face, growling and biting his lip in frustration. Tsunade was nothing like Tenten had described and the image he'd received in his head was an old woman, wrinkled and droopy eyed; but here she was, as young as any young adult.

Tenten called her a powerful, noble and a respectable kunoichi but what Naruto saw was far beyond noble and respectable. A large part of him wanted to reach across the table and give her a good whack on the head with the sake bottle she so coveted. It was like a gnawing feeling against the back of his neck. She wasn't going against her thoughts, nor was she gathering her things to leave. A part of him wanted to believe she was contemplating her decision, but another part of him, the larger part, believed she was just trying to drink and forget about his presence before her. She was a _cunt_ and Naruto couldn't stand her attitude. It was like shrill nails digging against a chalkboard.

He really needed to think this through. His promotion was more than just a promotion; the future of Konoha was entrusted to him and the decisions he made. _This_ being most paramount of them all. Tsunade was their last hope at a capable and respected leader. With her family name and apparent legendary status, the transition from Danzo to her would be smoother and more accepted by the Fire Daimyo. Whom of which, had yet to show himself. How he quickly handed the seat of Hokage to a man like Danzo confused Naruto. He expected more tact and political wariness on the Daimyo's part. The speed and the transition was too quick and seemed more like a coup.

But if it was a coup, the Fire Daimyo would have risen his armies and marched onto the gates of Konohagakure and stormed the village. After all, shinobi villages were autonomous to an extent. They were the bulk of the Elemental Daimyo's armies but they themselves were a separate state of the Elemental Nation's political clout. Shinobi villages though, were designated _by contract_ as per the Shodaime Hokage's order, to be loyal to the Elemental Daimyo's orders and decisions regarding Shinobi politics. At least; that's how the Konohagakure templet for shinobi villages went. The Daimyo had the final say in who became Hokage.

 _Maybe the Fire Daimyo feels intimidated by his neighbors and wants someone who would be willing to strike to be Hokage._ Naruto wondered. _To have the majority of the military follow a peace advocate's rule and law would be counteractive to expansionary and defensive military focuses. Even worse, for the Fire Daimyo, Konoha was shrinking down its shinobi forces, disarming and turning for a more business friendly economy. Something an Elemental superpower can't afford…_

 _Huh…_

Ahri raised a brow at the blond, having heard every word he said. She had to be honest, hearing his thought process surprised her, if not scared her. He was getting smarter and smarter, understanding and building his own theories from scratch. A sight she didn't know if she could ever get used to. He began to pace, glancing at the big breasted hag that sat in front of them. He mumbled, thinking out loud but did his best to stay in his own world of mental reverie. But he froze. Having received an epiphany. He spun on his heels to face the nine-tailed fox in front of him.

"Ahri…"

Her brow remained raised. "What?"

"We have a big…big… _big_ problem on our hands…."

* * *

Rocks tumbled about, dancing and singing in the distance. A common sight and sound in the Land of Earth. Mountains rose throughout the horizon and landscape, poking and prodding at the heavens with their ever-reaching peaks. But there was something about this naturally dangerous country to seem…habitable.

Over each crumbling stone and rumbling boulder, there sat a village. Its walls were carved from the mountains themselves, thick and ever studious in their duty. Upon the walls, shinobi stood, swords, kunai and ninjutsu ready to blow at a moment's notice. Behind them, seemed nothing more than rock formations, crudely made and merged together. This was Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in Stone. Known to be a strong and powerful village; in truth, its strength had waned in the last decade.

From their crushing defeat at the hands of the Fourth Hokage, where he single handedly defeated an entire attack division consisting of over two hundred shinobi, to the Earth Daimyo denying the Hidden Village rearmament licenses, the current state of the village populous was… _tense_ to say the least. A village like Iwagakure had much to be angry for and information that had just reached their Kage, the Tsuchikage, will only make things worse. Almost like metaphorical salt on wounds, a letter was received from Konoha.

But ignoring the coming chaos to ensue, there was a small battle taking place. Explosions of fire and earth shattered the training field, shooting rocks and dirt in every direction. But it was invisible to all who would dare to witness. A great wall of steam hid the spar from sight as two well-known shinobi clashed with every ounce of their ability. One was a lithe girl, dark hair and eyes of a light pinkish color. She wore a light brown flak jacket denoting her status as a chunin of Iwagakure. In front of her a man that stood almost seven feet tall wore a large and elaborate suit of red all-encompassing armor of steel and bamboo. On his back a great burning furnace threw steam throughout the field negating the girl's view.

But the steam could only do so much. He collapsed to a knee, tired of holding back. The girl was far more skilled than she let on. Quicklime and large formations of stone had wrapped around his feet and legs locking him in place. Using every ounce of his strength and doing what he can to not draw onto his tenant, the flowing steam came to halt. His tired but ever watching pink eyes fell slack. A sigh of defeat escaped his masked mouth as his voice made his surrender known.

Immediately, the cloud of steam dissipated, revealing the ruined training field and impact craters meters deep. Water had coagulated with the loose dirt turning it to mud. The girl splashed her sandals into the small puddles, proud of her workmanship, she smashed her fists together with pride beaming from her wide smile. Victory was nothing without vanity.

"Good work, Han." The young girl no older than fifteen smirked. Her pink eyes glimmered softly. "Maybe next time steam _might_ beat lava. In the meantime, I think you should continue training."

"You know, Kurotsuchi…" The giant shinobi shut his own pink eyes. Shaking his head he opened his eyes just to glare at her. "You never cease to annoy the shit out of me."

The girl gasped out in pseudo hurt. "But…I thought we were… _friends_!"

The giant shinobi sighed behind his steel mask and tipped his equally large jingasa helm to hide the annoyance in his eyes. "Our training and spar is over. Would you be kind and leave me be to meditate?"

"Humph." She frowned. "You're no fun today."

She was responded with the back of Han's great steel armor and the furnace strapped to his back. A part of her wanted to start up another spar to test her own stamina, but the rest of her body and mind fervently disagreed finding it prudent to avoid angering the giant Jinchuriki today. She knew her skills and knew how strong she was; shying away from a challenge was not in her blood, but something was wrong with her giant of a friend today and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

Just not now.

If he wanted to meditate; she'd let him. She was annoying but she was far from cruel. Throwing her hands behind her head, she walked along, sandals kicking at stray rocks and pebbles as she headed from Han's training grounds. The village had seemed boring since she was promoted to chunin. Everyone bowed to her even more and everyone coddled at her feet like she was a damn princess. Sure she practically was; daughter of their jōnin commander and granddaughter of their current Tsuchikage; but all of that was beside the point. She didn't want the special treatment and thankfully didn't receive it when she became a shinobi from her comrades and peers.

But these damn civilians always giving her false smiles and free food. No. She wouldn't – couldn't – complain about free food. Everything else? Sure, why not. It felt like she didn't have to work for anything, like she didn't have to fight for everything. Being from Iwa, being the granddaughter to one of the arguably strongest shinobi alive, she knew that hardship was going to be hand in hand with her successes. But this; this _charity_ felt insulting.

Shaking her head, feet dragging and trudging across the rock-littered dirt paths, her thoughts began to wander. She stared off into the hidden village painted with a single color; brown. It was a beautiful thing with its own rugged sense of style and aesthetic. Men and women struggled hard to do everyday things – while it was no Sunagakure, the lands surrounding the village were infertile for growing anything. Stones everywhere and protruding boulders and sharp rocks, even worse, when the stones on the mountain sides begin to tumble and create an avalanche – life wasn't pleasant but it was home.

 _Home_. She thought. For a moment, she paused when the thoughts of home flittered through her mind. _I remember reading in a book…Home is where your family is._

Looking at the towering plateau that the Tsuchikage tower was carved from so many years ago, she felt a small twist at her heart. She was just a newborn but her mother was killed by the Fourth Hokage during the last Great War. She grew up raised by her father and her grandfather, instilled with a distinct hate for Konoha. She didn't know all the information – especially since her father and grandfather denied her access to the archives of the village. Even after pleading and begging and declaring to become a jōnin to gain access, the two were adamant that she would never be allowed within. So many secrets, so much time.

But gleaming in the midday sun, she saw a hawk zooming through the air. But it wasn't a hawk native to the Land of Earth; it was a hawk from the Land of Fire. The red and green harness and steel buckles were a giveaway for her trained eyes. Something wasn't right; she could feel it in her bones. Dashing off through the pathways, kicking dirt, dust and stones in every direction; she took to the air with chakra rushing off of her legs.

Landing on the street below, she crashed through a street vendor and pushed through the crowds. Channeling chakra to her legs once again, she took to the air, landing on one of the many stone rooftops of the Hidden Village. The girl sped ahead like a whirlwind, gathering a great breeze in her wake; blowing curtains, street vendors and even lanterns away. She needed to hurry and learn of what was coming. Was it a declaration of war? Did the Konoha tree huggers finally concede and declare Iwagakure as the strongest? No, she berated herself; a people as prideful and self-entitled as the people of Konohagakure would never bow to another village willingly.

Charging ahead and even bursting through the Tsuchikage office window, she rolled on the floor, kicking her legs around to reposition before her grandfather. Jōnin and her father looked at her with confusion mixed with anger – albeit a small hint of anger. The letter had arrived and the hawk was perched on the Tsuchikage's desk.

"Jiji!" She called, panting slightly. "W-What does it say?"

"I was about to read it but you interrupted me."

"Here we go…"

* * *

Naruto paced in his mindscape, body cold as thoughts began to churn in his mind. Conspiracies that would get wilder and wilder with each passing moment. But even the wildest of conspiracies held some truth. Something was afoot and he would definitely get to the bottom of it. Being Hokage was the last thing on his mind; helping the old hag in front of him figure out her own messes and make _her_ Hokage was the last thing on his mind – literally. He could already feel himself mentally gag at the mere thought of that coming to pass.

He paused, eyes turning to the girl beside him. Ahri herself was thinking of conspiracies that revolved around the pair. Slowly but surely, she too began to pace; her tails swishing about in pure wonder. She could hear his thoughts and he, her. They fell upon similar conclusions so it made communicating that much easier. Danzo was too quick to rise to power and the fact that the Fire Daimyo would accept the promotion so quickly didn't sit too entirely well with the two. Still, there was a dark sinking weight that wallowed at the bottom of her stomach.

Danzo had taken the village and in the wake of his rise, the village went up in flames. Rebellion had risen and comrade turned on comrade at his sudden usurpation of the Kage hat. But of course, the old man couldn't have done it alone – Naruto knew this at least. It didn't matter how much power one had, not one person can do anything on their own. Danzo could have connections from Konoha to the farthest continent beyond the oceans of the east and the old man still wouldn't have made such a drastic move on his own – and as obnoxiously as he did.

There were too many different ways that the Foundation leader could have gone about the entire situation. Naruto was just glad that Ahri was just as worried as he was. This _big_ thing that was to come was definitely beyond big. It had to be the largest conspiracy in all the Elemental Nations. Danzo had enough men and resources at his disposal to actually spring a coup and take the most powerful Hidden Village in the Elemental Nations. Something of that magnitude couldn't have been done on his own. Spinning on his heels, he began to pace.

"I am beginning to see some things come together…" Naruto paced. "Ahri…what do you know of the Uzumaki Clan?"

"What about them?" The fox looked at him with a raised brow.

"My mother said that Danzo was instrumental in the Uzumaki Clan's demise." Naruto frowned. "Itachi also said that Danzo was the key stone to the Uchiha Massacre. My mother said that Danzo had a hand in every conflict since Old man-jiji had become Hokage."

"Uzumaki were…well…" Ahri took a soft breath. "Were known for having exceptionally long life-forces and incredibly resilient bodies. And they were most famous above all for the Fuinjutsu they turned from an obscure form of ninjutsu to an art form. Their fuinjutsu was unparalleled; even the most complex fuinjutsu that would take sealing experts weeks if not months or years to unravel, the Uzumaki would get it done in mere minutes if not moments."

Naruto's worried look only got worse. Pacing with a visible trepidation that served to do nothing but make the point he was making to become a hard pill to swallow, Ahri's jaw loosened.

"Exceptionally long life-forces…incredibly resilient bodies…" Naruto sighed, blue eyes turning to the ceiling of his mindscape. "The Academy and library says that Kumogakure, Iwagakure and Kirigakure banded together and attacked our…old ally…Uzushiogakure…my mother says something else…she was the last survivor of the purge. The first thing that becomes of her when she comes to Konoha is that she becomes a shinobi – they wanted to see if she had special chakra… _oh_ … _son of a bitch_! If I hadn't had enough reasons to hate that man, I just keep finding more! Tsunade could be in danger…"

The mindscape unraveled and time began to flow in. The blonde hag in front of him had finally finished pouring her sake and the two genin beside him looked at him with a slight hint of worry. More so Sakura than Sasuke. The Uchiha was more miffed that Jiraiya had sent the three of them to deal with the blonde grandma than he himself coming here. Naruto whipped his head to the window, watching the flaps of the curtains dance in the soft winds. Turning his head back to the blonde in front of him; she knew absolutely nothing of what has happened to Konoha and he was certain in her drunken stupor and from what Jiraiya had told him; she was going to either be irate or impossible to reason with unless great measures were taken to make her see.

Ahri agreed with that sentiment but at the moment, the hairs on Naruto's neck rose. The feeling became so profound, the chunin slightly rose from his seat garnering the attention of the blonde woman across the table. To her, he was calmly sitting at the table awaiting his coming speech about Konoha – youth; such naivety. But strangely, he was now completely restless as if he were expecting someone to pop out of the woodwork and strike at them. Placing her sake bottle down, she brought the cup to her lips, sipping softly at the contents, all the while watching the chunin in front of her look left and right, almost in a frantic terror.

"Tsunade-sama." Naruto spoke in a near growl. The people present at the table looked at him with confusion in their eyes. His tone spoke of conflict and worry. "Sasuke, Sakura…I sense trouble. Listen…I know you're like fifty but I won't pry granny…but before you think of lashing out at me; big things have happened in Konoha and your presence in required back in the village."

"What makes you think I'll go back there after you just insulted me?!" She asked with a glare. "And I've said this before! I will not take a step back into that village!"

Sasuke actually rose from his seat with his sharingan active and a hand resting on his sword hilt. Naruto turned to the blonde woman. "We're not going to Konoha just yet. I know you don't know this but Danzo is the Hokage now…he took the hat without keeping to the succession laws your grandfather created. So I'm sure you know that should count as illegal usurpation of the Kage position. We don't have all the information but we know that he had some help high in the Fire Daimyo's court or even the Fire Daimyo himself. If so, then our rebellion is more than justified. Are you following me so far?"

Tsunade was silent for a good few minutes, completely awestruck with eyes as wide as plates. Her cheeks were pink from how drunk she was. But after a while, the glazed drunken eyes she had were cleaned and wiped like a new slate. Her pink cheeks returned to their slightly tanned complexion. Sitting straight, she pushed her sake bottle away, eyes narrowing as she nodded.

"I didn't introduce myself or my team properly." Naruto frowned. "To my left is Uchiha Sasuke – one of the last two members of the Uchiha Clan. To my right is Haruno Sakura – one of the most deeply affected genin by the turn of events. I myself am Uzumaki Naruto – son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Our sensei was Hatake Kakashi but he… _fell_ …when Konoha fell. Jiraiya of your old team is now our sensei."

"Without giving too much detail; Danzo has sent his troops after us since the Fall." Tsunade's jaw loosened slightly when she looked at the battle-hardened children. "We have done well to escape death but…I sense his shinobi in the city…and to make matters worse…I sense your other teammate…the snake one."

"W-What?" Tsunade looked at Naruto with wide eyes, almost completely sobered up. "What are you planning on doing?"

"I have a mission tasked to me by the Rebellion – bring your drunk ass to our base to act as our leader and Hokage." Naruto spoke, sensing chakra signatures getting closer. "You are the prime leader for our Rebellion; you have the name, the skills and the titles that are becoming of a leader of a Hidden Village. The Daimyo would have no choice but to alleviate his decision of choosing Danzo when he realizes that Danzo can't keep Konoha on top. No doubt Danzo has already made slip ups in the eyes of the Fire Daimyo by losing the son of a previous Hokage."

"Why should I listen to you?" Tsunade asked with a glare. A flash of worry appeared – a flash that Naruto took notice of.

"Because!" Naruto took a deep breath, pressing his hands on the table. "Danzo…he cannot be trusted. Danzo betrayed everything Konoha stood for under the Third Hokage. We don't want you dead, we want you to fill the space he'd left behind – after all, it's a space that _needs_ to be filled. I get that we got off on the wrong foot…it's because I want to be Hokage too. But at the moment – I myself, admittedly, am not qualified for the position. As much as it annoys me to also admit – everyone else believes _you_ are. I can't force a legendary kunoichi to come with me but I'll sure as hell do what I can to convince you. If not for just being a leader, think of the wounded from how many battles have happened. Being the best and greatest medic in history, imagine the families you could heal – the children who wouldn't have to die a young death. Please. I can't believe I'm saying this…but I'm begging you."

"Naruto." Ahri took a deep breath, chakra rushing from her body and into his coils. "I can sense them nearby. Their aura is dark and malicious. Get ready for a fight…"

"Whelp…" Naruto sighed, placing a hand behind his head. "They're here."

The door slid open on the far side of the restaurant revealing a small squad of jōnin and chunin from Konoha. Their weapons were already drawn and from what Sasuke could see with his sharingan, the fourth member of the squad was on the rooftops channeling his chakra for ninjutsu. Their power, while a far cry from the Foundation Agents that Danzo seemed to have in excess, far outweighed the three members of Team Seven. Nevertheless, power and rank be damned, Sasuke slowly started to draw his katana, but was stopped by the blonde grandma.

"No need to get into an altercation, young Uchiha." Tsunade tightened her hand on the boy's paling knuckles. Walking across the restaurant leaving Shizune behind at the table, she was stopped by the lead jōnin of the team.

"Tsunade-sama." One of the jōnin bowed. "The search for you has been long and tremendous."

This was unexpected.

Tsunade did the first thing that came to mind and nodded her head. "How can I help you…jōnin-san?"

"Hokage-sama has ordered us to bring you to Konoha."

But it was at that moment that everything froze for Naruto. Time stopped flowing and everyone became as still as mannequins. His mind was racing giving him just enough time to collapse to his knees within his mindscape. Danzo was onto their plans; he had to be. Naruto sprang to his feet, running his thoughts through each and every possible angle, and there was only one that seemed logical enough. Danzo knew of their attempts to get Tsunade as the Hokage instead of him and he was preparing to destroy any hope they had. At least he didn't anticipate the intrusion of Naruto and Team Seven.

"If you don't mind me asking, Tsunade-sama…" The jōnin looked behind her trying to eye the rest of the restaurant. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned his eyes to her own. "We have received word that a chunin travelling with a pair of genin that we've been tracking for the last month is in the area. Have you seen them? They are important to Hokage-sama and his plans for the future of Konoha."

"No." Tsunade's reply was flat. "If they're so important why aren't they in Konoha?"

"It is something I cannot discuss here in an open doorway." The jōnin motioned for the woman to follow. "I will explain in greater detail when out of earshot of those this information doesn't concern."

Back in the bar, Naruto and the two genin pressed their backs against one the section walls, hiding their bodies from sight. Naruto tilted over, cerulean eyes locking on the back of Tsunade as she exited the establishment with the Konoha shinobi. Avoiding the looks that many of the bar regulars were giving the trio, he sprang to his feet with the other two at his rear, ready to spring into action at any moment. They stayed low, keeping their heads down, Naruto even removed his chunin vest for the time beings and shoved it into a storage seal.

His hand rested on the handle on his hip, prepared for anything. "Sasuke, do you see where they are?"

"Yeah." The Uchiha glared as the sharingan spun. "They're just talking to her at the moment; what about, I'm not entirely certain. This isn't a good position to be in if I'm gonna be honest here. Jōnin and chunin of our village are over the place. I don't recognize some of them but there are a few that struck down some of the Rebellion shinobi during the Fall."

"Then don't aim to kill." Naruto said it as if it were the simplest answer. "We don't want to kill our comrades but if push comes to shove, I will strike our enemies down. Konoha is what our ancestors fought and bled to build and create; what my father and mother gave their lives to protect. I don't know how you two feel but I feel obligated to do what must be done for the good of Konoha. Removing Danzo and his ilk and putting up someone who follows the Will of Fire like old man-jiji said…Konoha will never be the same without someone like that. While I don't like baa-chan, she's the best shot we got."

The trio left the bar without another word spared. They needed to know what the shinobi were on about. _If Danzo is trying to convince Tsunade to come back to Konoha, it could be the easiest ploy to remove a possible competitor for the Hokage hat. It could be a trap for her. While she did talk all that shit about Konoha and her forefathers and their legacy; she was drunk. I don't know her whole story since Jiraiya-sensei was awfully vague on that point, it must have been rough to make her desert the village and become a drunken recluse gambling her soul away._

"Now, I don't want to make Danzo seem any less than the monster he is – Tsunade is also renowned as the shinobi world's most powerful and skilled medic." Ahri piped. "Maybe…just _maybe_ Danzo is bringing her back to help heal Konoha. Being around as long as I have, I have seen things done worse by other more noble men for the sake of one's village and ideals."

 _But still, Ahri._ Naruto looked back at her. _Why bring an enemy – especially one as special as Tsunade back to the village? She is the granddaughter of the First and the grandniece of the Second and student to the Third. She has more direct ties to the title of being Hokage than Danzo ever will. Sure, he was the student of the Second with the Third being his teammate, Tsunade has the blood and the title that would impress the Fire Daimyo. As far as I'm concerned, the Fire Daimyo was either coaxed into agreeing to making Danzo the Hokage or he was offered no other choice by Danzo and whomever else is in the guy's pocket._

 _Shouldn't there be a meeting of sorts before a Kage is chosen?_

"And here I was thinking you knew what you were talking about when you pulled at the old hag's heartstrings."

 _You can't talk calling her an old hag. How old are **you** again?_

"I'm immortal, Byeong-shin." Ahri huffed. "Huge difference. Anyway – yes. There is usually a meeting of the high ranking jōnin and Clan Heads of Konoha where they put forth their candidates for the Hokage hat. But _sadly_ most – if not all – of the clan heads had gathered with Kakashi to decide on whether or not they would rebel against Danzo before he could even take power, leaving the council empty save for those loyal to the war hawk."

 _So, in a way, you're saying the precautionary moves that were made to stop Danzo, inadvertently became his rise? Son of a bitch. This is why they always taught that trying to remove the problem before there even is one is one of the dumbest things you could do._ Naruto clenched his teeth. _Go figure, all the jōnin and clan heads that could have stopped or even stalled Danzo at that said meeting would have done so if Kakashi hadn't acted to brashly._

"Can you blame him though?" Ahri asked with a worried look on her face. "Danzo is known by most if not all of the jōnin shinobi that are worth their salt, as a war hawk. He would do anything to get the glorious war that would destroy the other nations and leave Konoha on top once again. I'm certain you know the type. But of course with international disarmament and shrinking shinobi forces, the Fire Daimyo had to concede to the treaties and pacts made between nations. Hiruzen was all too happy for the course of the International status of course but Danzo wasn't – and we can only assume the Fire Daimyo wasn't either."

 _Still…_ Naruto shook his head. _Everything is coming together for a full swing and I'll be damned if they kill the old hag. If she doesn't become our icon for the rebellion, I don't know who will._

"You always could." Ahri added.

 _The hell I could._ Naruto blanched at the notion. _I was just promoted to chunin and for the last hour and a half, we were in my mindscape coming up with ways I could knock her ass out and bring her along without a fight. Not much for Kage or leadership worthy material if I'm being honest here. She may be a drunk and pretty much a washed-up hag in my eyes, she has the name, the prestige and the power to be the icon we need. Many of those who followed us, followed us because of who we were and not really knowing the truth of the cause._

 _Tsunade is an important piece to our puzzle._ Naruto exited the restaurant with his kunai sword drawn. _And I'll be damned if someone steals her._

"Takashi!" A call came from the rooftops. "It's the Kyuubi-brat and the Uchiha!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes when the shinobi immediately jumped forward to protect Tsunade from the three of them. "That's the _first_ thing you say when you see me?"

"Tsunade-sama." The lead jōnin identified as Takashi spoke menacingly. "Stay behind me. That boy is the reincarnation of the demon that attacked Konoha fourteen years ago. He _is_ the Kyuubi no Kitsune. They say he's the son of the Yondaime Hokage. But I don't – I won't – believe the words of a demon and his worshipers. Men! Apprehend them! Hokage-sama wants the Uchiha and the demon alive."

"What of the girl?" One of the chunin asked.

"Dispose of her. Hokage-sama has no need for her."

But before the shinobi could move, almost like lightning, Naruto appeared before them. His sword was drawn and ready to strike. Like a blinking strike, the first chunin was sliced in half, spraying blood and guts in every direction. His face was contorted into a disfigured rage with whisker marks becoming whiskers and the once cerulean eyes bleeding into crimson. It was the flame-like tattoos that really struck a chord with the Konoha strike team. He was covered in them with dark red almost a blood red chakra exploding off of his body in droves.

Behind Naruto, Sasuke had activated his Cursed Mark for the first time in almost a month. He as well was covered in flame like tattoos. But instead of dark blood red chakra, his was purple, malicious and almost sinister in nature. It writhed around him and Sakura like tendrils with slight hits of sentience. The two channeled the energy at their disposal scaring off the shinobi into the alleyways and rooftops. Immediately dissipating their power, Naruto sprang forward grabbing the old woman who was on her knees, terrified.

"Oh, come on." Naruto frowned. "You can't be that terrified of our…power…"

His eyes no longer crimson trailed over to see where her sight was resting. It was the pool of blood that continued to spread. She looked at her hands and to her arms finding the small flakes and drops of blood abhorrent. Even with just a simple touch of her shoulder, Naruto could feel her heart race within her chest. But just as he shook her to get her attention; she shot her fist forward with chakra exploding from the impact.

"Oh shit!" Ahri cried from within.

Several bones were destroyed the instant her fist met with his body. Organs were ruptured and if Ahri hadn't been within him; she was certain he would have popped like a balloon. Naruto flew back almost forty feet, crashing and rolling against the dirt. The street cracked from the sheer power the old woman had in her punch. Windows shattered from the incredible show of power.

Sasuke drew his sword, Cursed Mark chakra gone, ready to strike at Tsunade. But Tsunade, almost as if she were in a daze, rose to her feet, confused and terrified of where she was. Shizune burst from the restaurant with her pig in her arms, screaming out for the blonde. The old Senju didn't show any signs of reciprocation. She simply turned on her heels and took off to the rooftops – probably running as fast as she can to get away from the scene as fast as possible.

"Shit…" Sasuke rushed over to Naruto, running his hands against his friends broken body. "Damn it…and you just…"

Suddenly, steam and chakra burned from the point of impact. Bones merged and skin reformed. The dead and torn flesh fell off like skin shedding's of a snake. His once labored breath became smooth and before long, the Uzumaki sprang to his feet, disoriented at best, ready to hurl at worst. The organs damaged were almost as good as new but sadly, there was something that even Ahri or Tsunade could fix.

His pride.

* * *

Kurotsuchi was cold in her seat, almost contemplating what she should do. Her hands were clasped together as her knees shook beneath her. Her pink eyes trailed to the stone walls and the varying paintings and murals decorating the ever dull and bland brown of her village. The news was almost too much for her and near sent her careening into a darkness of no return. The man she'd been raised to hate and despise _has a son_.

She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees. Her hair feel down to cover the sides of her face with her bangs falling from out of her hitai-ate. Jōnin walked past her with a slight frown on their faces but they nodded at her. They too lost someone to the Yondaime Hokage during the last Great War. Even Kumogakure was affected by the man. To lose so many people so quickly was unbelievable and incredible – but to Kurotsuchi, none of that mattered. The mother she never knew was killed in the battle by the Yellow Flash and now…she was going to return the favor.

Thoughts drifting to the contents of the letter; the new Hokage, Shimura Danzo had offered Iwagakure information in exchange for a meeting between the two Shinobi nations. As a sign of goodwill on Danzo's part, he told them the identity of the Yondaime Hokage's son; Uzumaki Naruto. While she'd never heard of the family name before, seeing so many jōnin and even her own grandfather stiffen at the name made her wonder and filled her with curiosity. Back to the Uzumaki, he was a newly promoted chunin of Konoha after the village was attacked by Sand and Sound.

After the Konoha Crush, Iwagakure and admittedly the rest of the world had no idea what was happening in the Land of Fire. Spies were rooted out, scouts were arrested and deported back to their home countries. Information leaving the nation had come to a complete standstill. Internal trade was still running as far as the other nations were concerned but international trade between the Land of Fire and the other nations bordering it had ceased. Land of Tea and the other nations bordering Konoha to the south were cut off thanks to the closed borders. People were starving and resources were scarce.

The Tsuchikage, while not the most empathetic man could not help but worry for the coming future of the Elemental Nations. He continued reading the letter, reading the new Hokage's words with a grain of salt. Onoki scowled at some of the things mentioned in the letter but overall agreed with the Danzo's words. They would meet with him first and then chase after the son of the Yondaime. All in due time he told Kurotsuchi. But what if the Konoha rats decided against peaceful talks; what if Danzo was as bad as many of the jōnin say he is? _Would we be ready if they struck out at us?_

 _Why is the son of the Yondaime out of the village in the first place?_ Kurotsuchi wondered. _Is he on a mission already? As far as I know; village repairs would take months – many months. If they were already being sent on missions, I'd find it a waste of resources. There's something we're not being told here…_

* * *

"What?"

Naruto looked away, a small hint of embarrassment showed on his face in the form of a blush. "It's exactly as I said it was."

Jiraiya was awestruck, flabbergasted even. "H-How…why?! Damn it, Naruto! Now she could be anywhere drunk on her ass! Danzo or Orochimaru could have already found her!"

"Oh please!" Naruto shouted back. "I'm certain that the old hag is fine…I mean…"

"What?"

"I _hope_ the old hag is fine…"

* * *

"Ma'am! Spit the strawberry printed panties out immediately!"

The woman lost her footing, pulling the underwear from her mouth with a glazed look in her hazel eyes. "H-How'd I get drunk already…? Why doesn't this taste like strawberries?!"

* * *

"Look." Jiraiya sighed in frustration. "It's morning – it's been a good ten hours since you've last seen her. We might find her passed out in her hotel room or behind a dumpster or something."

"You don't sound too sure of yourself, sensei." Naruto pried.

"Quiet you."

* * *

"And don't come back here ever again, you indecent woman!"

The blonde stumbled slightly, barely finding her footing steady. Cocking her fist back, she prepared a power punch towards the men who grabbed her from the store, chakra built into her arm for maximum results. But just as she shot her fist forward, a hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her in her drunken tracks.

* * *

"What kind of drunk is she?"

Jiraiya looked up from his notebook. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…there're different kind of drunks." Naruto started. "We've got loud drunks; like the ones who'd openly curse me when I was a child…the party drunks; a lot of young adult civilians are like that at parties. Then you've got lewd drunks; you're lewd no matter the level of sobriety you're stricken with so you're an obvious example I suppose. And of course; the violent ones. The Hag – I mean Tsunade – seems to have more depth to her than I first assumed."

"My, my, Naruto." Jiraiya smirked. "Three months ago when I first found you, you were a helpless waste of time. Now you're using big words and using that brain of yours. It's both surprising and scary."

"So I've been told."

Jiraiya took a deep breath and slid his pencil into the spiral of his notepad. "You wouldn't be wrong in your assessment of my old teammate. She's a case of Irony if I've ever seen one."

"What do you mean?" The Uzumaki asked with a raised brow. "Irony?"

"Yes…well…she's a medic who has hemophobia." Jiraiya frowned. "The _fear_ of blood. It triggered in her when she lost her lover, Dan."

Naruto looked to Sasuke and Sakura who were still asleep in their bed. The black haired Uchiha held the pinkette in his arms. If this were a scene to witness just three months before, Naruto was certain he would have flipped; but in all honesty, he thought it looked cute. But worrisome after hearing of Tsunade's tragedy.

"I can sense more to the story."

"Are you sure you want to know, kid?" Jiraiya gave a subtle warning. He was responded with a soft nod from the blond still fixated on his sleeping teammates.

"Well…Dan died during the Third Shinobi World War." Jiraiya nodded. "Just a few months before Dan, Tsunade's little brother, Nawaki, died as a runner from the fronts of Konoha HQ during the one of the major conflicts of the war. Not enough information was available on what happened but all we know was that Iwagakure got him. Tsunade tried to heal him, his blood drenched her by the end of the night…"

Naruto turned his head to his teacher when the old geezer trailed off. Jiraiya looked down at his sandaled feet. "Yeah…that memory, along with Dan dying in her arms burned into my brain as it did with hers. Their blood coalesced into her fear for conflict and death; her fear of blood. It pains me to force her back into Konoha's military and shinobi forces again, but with Danzo in control, I – we – have no choice but to force her back."

"I…" The young blond was silent, hands clenching his chunin flak jacket. "I think I understand her better now…"

* * *

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade drawled, a soft pink tinge on her cheeks.

"You're drunk this early in the day, Tsunade?" The snake hissed with a disappointed smirk. "And here, I thought better of you."

"Why are you here, _Orochimaru_?" She hissed back, spit dribbling between her barred teeth. "I thought you'd be kidnapping little boys to dissect them to see the quickest way to their hearts –!"

"You will not insult Orochimaru-sama in my presence!" Kabuto raised a kunai at her throat.

But faster than light; the kunai was knocked from his hand. Dust settled and Kabuto lay stomach pressed against the dirt with his arm twisted violently. Tsunade pressed her knee against his spine, chakra building at her sharp kneecap digging between his vertebrae.

"It seems you've found a loyal little boy." Tsunade leered at the pale skinned man's lackey. "And what's your name? Experiment No.12? Oh, better yet; boy-toy No.1 since you seem to be his _bottom bitch_."

"Such unwarranted malignance, Tsunade." Orochimaru's voice slithered from his face-splitting smile. "Why do you treat Kabuto so?"

"Don't play any games with me, Orochimaru." Tsunade growled. "I was told of how you attacked Konoha and killed sensei. It seems it wasn't a complete victory, was it. Your dead arms seem to agree with me."

One of his eyebrows quirked at her statement. "Once more…why are you being so cruel? It is after all the first time we've seen each other in over twenty years."

"Did I hit a nerve?" Tsunade released Kabuto eliciting a groan form the silver haired shinobi. "I guess your wish and dream to learn every ninjutsu in existence will never come to pass."

"On the contrary, my dear Tsunade." Orochimaru's smile grew a sickening width with his tongue hanging from his face. "I _have_ found my solution. I believe you've already met my favorite experiments."

"Who…?" Her hazel eyes narrowed.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke." Orochimaru whispered. "Those two boys have been marked as my property, my experiments…my… _boy-toys_ …as you put it."

Tsunade trembled in the snake's presence at the revelation. "Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Orochimaru grinned. "Adorable, really. You already formed a worrisome care for the two children. Well I'll have you know, Tsunade, I just want the Uchiha's eyes and the Uzumaki's body. I'll cut them up, dissect them and learn all about their bodies…and you'll help me."

She backed away, arms shaking with chakra building up in her fists. "N-No…why would I ever help you?!"

"I have knowledge of ninjutsu that far outweighs yours." Orochimaru's grin turned menacing. "I have seen the other world…I have contacted the other world…"

"I can bring back your beloved…I can bring back your brother. Dan and Nawaki." Orochimaru looked at her widening eyes and sensed her dissipating chakra. "Don't you want them back? Don't you wish to hold your brother in your arms like the big sister you are; or to caress and love Dan once more? You miss it don't you? Where every waking moment is spent trying to dull your pain with alcohol, aren't you tired of that life?"

Tsunade looked at him with wide eyes, shaking within her sockets. Body cold like ice, and arms frozen like stone, she couldn't move. Thoughts ran rampant, dancing past her hazel irides, coloring her world a dark monochrome. But just as her world came to a crushing darkness, a bright, silvery blade glimmered in her eyes.

"Orochimaru-dono." A gruff voice sounded in her muffled ears. "What are you doing?"

"Why…I'm merely extracting my side of the deal." The Sannin hissed. "I want my arms healed and I want a blood sample. Neither should take longer than a few mere moments."

"Hokage-sama will be enraged to find that she's been altered in any way."

"Altered?" Orochimaru stared at the man with a raised brow. "I knew the Foundation were hard-headed but I never anticipated them to be this dense. I just want Tsunade, my dear teammate for just a few mere moments more."

"Y'know." A third voice arrived. "All of you need to learn how to hide your damn chakra. I could sense you a mile away."

"Naruto- _kun_ /The Kyuubi-Brat!"

On a wall watching the exchange take place, Naruto and the rest of Team Seven crouched, looking down at them. Naruto and Sasuke's swords were drawn, glowing with soft blue hues. Beside them Sakura held onto the roofing tiles. Jiraiya stood with one knee drawn up and another flamboyantly raised into the air. His arms were spread showing off his ridiculous smile and face.

"At least someone is willing to say my name!"

Orochimaru's shit eating grin never ceased. "Well, I see you've survived the Cursed Mark, Naruto-kun! Why don't you come down and have a talk?"

"No." The Uzumaki frowned. "I don't think so."

Hurling a kunai with a swift action; the knife sang through the air whistling as it cut through the winds. Moving quick, one of the Foundation agents drew his tanto, blocking the attack. As expected though, Naruto appeared before the man with his kunai sword drawn and locked with the tanto. The Uzumaki grunted as he pressed his weight and smaller frame into the experienced agent. Chakra shook off the blond in steady waves, yet the ANBU managed to keep his stance.

From a distance, a pair of clones rushed up to the gathered shinobi, rasengan glowing and spiraling in their open hands. Chakra wisped about, tickling and brushing against the boy's flesh. Taking a quick moment to catch a breath, Naruto jumped up, pressing his soles against the ANBU's locked forearms and kicked back, chakra exploding off the point. As the unnamed agent stumbled back in a thick cloud of smoke, the first shadow clone zoomed past him like a whirlwind dervish. The second though, used the disoriented ninja's stance to his advantage. Jumping forward with the unbalanced agent, the clone rammed his rasengan into the man's chest, tearing his armor to pieces and shredding his cloak beneath.

Releasing the pressure and spiraling rotations within, the rasengan exploded in a powerful show of blue, white and red. It was so powerful, the clone who dealt the blow, dispelled. The ninja fell to the ground, chest eviscerated, devoid of skin to hide the bloody organs within. Blood quickly pooled around the ANBU, darkening the soft brown of the dirt road. It was a vicious but effective kill, something Naruto wanted to avoid but knew was the only way to survive against the Foundation.

Behind him though; Tsunade watched with wide eyes and skin as cold as ice. Her body shook and mind came to a shuddering halt. The blood continued to flow around the corpse, slowly thickening into a crimson chowder. Her mouth dried and legs gave out beneath her. She watched Naruto rip the man open, practically with his own bare hands. She watched him attack those ANBU with no fear in his eyes or in his stance. _He scared her_.

A loud roar shook her from her fear stricken reverie. Naruto ducked under a wide swipe from a tanto and quickly responded with a kick to the man's gut. He dodged and weaved between each strike, taking his time to watch for any openings. Launching forward as the ninja prepared for an overhead strike, Naruto tackled the man twice his size and slammed the man into the dirt. Punching him a few times, he drew a kunai from the ninja's own kunai pouch. Without hesitation in his movements, he jammed the knife between the shinobi's eyes. The man died quickly, but Naruto could not help but witness the pupils dilate and the eyes roll up.

Beside him, Sasuke landed, clashing his longer chokutō katana with a tanto. While Naruto was a strong hitter, using power strikes and shadow clones to wield ninjutsu, Sasuke was a near master. What surprised the Uzumaki, Sasuke wasn't even using his Sharingan. The Uchiha clashed his blade with expert precision and timing. With a light grip on his hilt, he spun the blade about, confusing his opponent and showering the two of them in sparks. Sasuke stopped suddenly, foot forward between the ninja's stance. Whipping his fist with lightning chakra crackling against his pale skin, the Uchiha dug the blade into the unguarded knuckles of the ninja. But in a single move, he sliced the sword through the man's hand and slid his foot around, knocking the man to his back.

Twirling his blade, Sasuke shoved the sword through the man's chest, immediately ending his life. Now beside him, Sakura rushed up to one of the chunin confused and terrified. Sliding against the blood slicked road, she channeled chakra to her fist, taking after Naruto and Sasuke's example's. With a powerful cry and roar, she rammed her fist into the ninja's stomach, rupturing his organs within, forcing blood up his throat. With power and chakra still built in her arms and legs, she shoved the man back two feet, fist bloodied and crimson.

"Make this easy for us, Orochimaru and surrender." Naruto shouted. "Your butt buddies are dead and you've got nowhere to run!"

"You disappoint me Naruto…I thought you were smarter than that." Orochimaru hissed with a hint of disappointment lacing his words. "Kabuto!"

" **Kuchiyose no jutsu!** "

* * *

"You know…I've seen some shit." Naruto spoke. "I've seen some crazy fucking shit. I met a girl who was actually a guy. I met a guy who liked to wear the skin of people with incredible hair. Shit…I even met a fox that destroyed my village, killed my parents, ruined my chances of having a regular childhood, and even trained me to be not as shit as I used to be. And she's hot as hell too. It's interesting y'know."

"But not as half as interesting as this bullshit!"

"Naruto, **_run_**!"

He ran and ran, dodging falling debris and ruptured pagoda towers. "Tell me something I don't know to do please!"

"Naruto, just calm down!" Ahri shouted once again. "You're stressing me out!"

 _Stressing **you** out?!_ Naruto ducked as a gigantic purple tail swiped above him. Winds gathered and lifted the little orange clad blond off his feet. "I'm the one in the physical world about to die here!"

Rolling through the dirt and debris cloud, Naruto landed on his knees, speeding through hand seals. He looked up, sky covered in the growing smoke. Using what little context clues he had, he aimed towards the imposing shadow practically blocking the sun from view.

 **"Katon: Gōkakyū no jutsu!"** Naruto shouted within.

Chakra ignited within his stomach and rushed up his throat. With the tiger hand seal as the wick, he forced the volatile chakra forward and watched with pride. The chakra ignited with a fiery beauty and swelled to a size almost five times larger than himself. Narrowing his sapphire eyes, the ball sprang forward, spreading the thick cloud of debris creating a visible cavern through the smoke. Against the shadow, which was growing, the ball disappeared and exploded, glowing the horizon in a beautiful orange hue. The explosion was loud, but his victory was short lived.

"Naruto, the tail is coming back around!"

He ran forward, head ducked down, feeling the gigantic snake tail swung overhead. It was purple with great terrifying spikes protruding. Its tail rose up through the cloud, splitting it in half. While any other time, Naruto would have thanked the gods or any deity willing to listen, he frowned, almost even feeling his face melt in despair. The blaring sun spread her rays through the thick smoke shimmering the dark purple scales of the snake. Now that Naruto had a better look at it; he'd come to realize that it was significantly larger than the three-headed monstrosity that ravaged his village.

"H-Holy…s-shit…"

"Naruto!" Ahri shouted within him. "Just get out of the way!"

"I-I…"

Chakra sprang through his body, flooding his coils and limbs, forcing him to his numbing feet. What drove him insane, Sasuke, Sakura and Jiraiya were nowhere to be seen. The instant Kabuto summoned the purple monster, everything went to hell. Naruto stopped channeling the cursed mark _and_ Ahri's chakra, and he lost sight of his Uchiha friend. Dashing through the cloud with chakra waving off of his body, he zoomed through the destruction, tripping over large pieces of debris. One didn't need sight or a significant amount of cognitive function to figure how fucked the situation was.

He zipped about, dodging another great purple, spiked snake tail. The impact sent shockwaves of terror through the earth and into Naruto's own two feet. Stumbling, fearful and sweating profusely, Naruto finally made it from the death trap the smoke cloud was. It was then that he finally realized the true terror that was Orochimaru.

The man of his nightmares and current predicament, stood upon the head of a massive purple snake with spikes coming from the back of its head. The snake he fought in the Forest of Death was like a worm to this being of gargantuan majesty. Its head was larger than the three heads of the snake that tore through Konoha's walls – combined! Its scales looked as thick as steel plate, slithering about its flesh. Naruto groaned at his luck, eyeing the beast as Jiraiya finally appeared on the head of Gamabunta, the Toad Boss. The two massive summons clashed with one another, grabbing and swiping and punching. Jiraiya engaged Orochimaru, but even though the old Sannin was missing his arms, his legs worked perfectly fine.

Naruto could feel his fear piquing once again. But a reassuring hand suddenly arrived, resting upon his shoulder. Sapphire eyes met with the crimson red of the sharingan. Sasuke was panting with a few cuts and bruises on his otherwise unharmed face. His sword was drenched in blood but with the look on his eyes and the tears and slashes through his shirt, said a different story. He may have gotten the kills; but he was far from unscathed. He panted heavily, ducking his head down feeling sweat dribble off his face. They were in over their heads and it was just beginning to register. Beside him, another hand grabbed at his own; Sakura had found her way to the pair, terrified and shaking.

Her knuckles were bruised and split. Blood coursed from the swollen flesh, telling Naruto she did what she had to. Her forehead and the cut sporting across it had opened again, blood dripped and slipped against her skin like paint. Her short cut pink hair was wild and disheveled, colored brown from mud and dirt. Sakura looked like she'd been through hell and back, but somehow still managed to survive. Bringing his team closer to him, he could feel their fear shaking within their cores – shaking with his own.

The Curse Mark was vibrating on Naruto's stomach, much like how it was for Sasuke. For a moment, Naruto thanked the wretched thing – without it; he and Sasuke would not have been able to dispatch the Foundation Agents the way they did. But now, he could feel how detrimental it could be. Sasuke looked paler and his cheeks looked slightly sunken in. The tattoos had disappeared but the Curse Mark continued to glow on his shoulder, almost as if it were calling to him like a beacon. The Uchiha fought it though, as well as Naruto could ever. It was addicting and already the two of them have used it far too much while on the mission.

Worse still, Orochimaru could feel them using it. Whenever the power surged through their bodies, the sickening smile, that flowing waving black hair would flash in their minds. The promise of power and revenge; the promise of equality and love. Things one disregards and the other has already found. The lies the Curse Mark spun were powerful, warping reality and their perception of the world around them. But Naruto and Sasuke knew they had to fight past it. The Village depended on it; their friends depended on it; they depended on each other.

Naruto turned back, sensing someone coming over the debris. "Baa-chan! What are you doing here?!"

The old woman continued hobbling through the debris, obviously terrified and worried of her decision to show herself. She slid down the rocks, tumbling as she went and landed on her knees. Naruto could see her shaking as she forced herself to her feet. Tsunade stumbled, losing her balance for a moment but continued to fight on. A medic afraid of blood? She'd whisper to herself. Children throwing themselves into the line of fire? What does that make me?

Her hazel eyes landed on the confident – bloodied – smile that the blond brat sported. He looked happy despite the fear he couldn't hide. His friends – family – beside him, were his strength; his rock and his steady ground. Tsunade could see it – feel it. Her lips quivered, feeling tears sting at the corners of her eyes. Quickly, she pressed her hands against Sakura's back, an emerald green aura appeared. Almost immediately, the wounds the girl received were healing over, steaming and disappearing without leaving a scratch. Even her chakra reserves and stamina were revived.

Her hands were pressed against Sasuke, healing his wounds as well. The Uchiha's face filled in, color returned and his eyes glowed with a new saturation. His wounded smirk changed to a confident, powerful smile. He straightened up and stretched his back. Swinging his sword around, the boy flashed a brave look before falling to his confident disposition.

But luck is always on Naruto's side. Just as the battle couldn't get worse, newcomers arrived.

There were three of them, each wearing a mask and fancy robes with thick sleeves. They were the same height – they couldn't be any older than the rebel ninja themselves. But what really freaked Naruto out; the trio had gigantic blades growing from their own flesh. If Naruto hadn't seen crazy shit beforehand, he was certain this would have taken the cake. He knew Orochimaru was fucked up, but this was an entirely new level.

There were times where Sasuke could hear his own voice telling him to join Orochimaru and there were times, even now, that he thought of seeing what kind of power the old snake was willing to offer that no one else apparently had, but after seeing what these little creatures looked like, dashed those thoughts. Every possible idea or image of taking the power Orochimaru had offered, disappeared. These _children_ were subjected to such a heinous experiment that _weapons were grafted_ to their arms! The Uchiha steadied himself, gathering his sword to ready.

"What the hell…" Ahri whispered within. "I've seen evil…and this goes beyond that…"

"You look like you've pissed yourself, Naruto." A sniveling giggle followed. "Surprised?"

"You sick bastard!" Naruto roared. "What the hell is wrong with you people?! Grafting blades to children?!"

"Oh, don't worry…" Kabuto smiled deliriously. "It's part of his kekkei genkai. Shin!"

The three children looked up in unison. "ATTACK!"

The trio burst into action, closing the distance in a near instant. Their blades clashed with their own, sparks singing into the wind. Their masks were emotionless and dispelled the probable years of torture. The stalemate was tough, with Shin nearly breaking their stance. With a few puffs of smoke, shadow clones appeared and grabbed the three boys away from Team Seven, allowing the three a moment of reprise.

"What the hell was that?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"No idea." The Uchiha of the three panted. "I'm not feeling too confident at the moment."

"Kabuto said that's the guy's kekkei genkai!" The pinkette whispered worriedly. "What kind of kekkei genkai is that?"

"Can't think of one."

"Well, doesn't matter." Naruto glared. "We get rid of them and keep Baa-chan safe."

"I can defend myself." The woman in question responded indignantly. "I'm a Sannin remember."

"Doesn't matter." Naruto piped. "Getting into the thick of things makes protecting you from Orochimaru and Danzo and any other nefarious ne'er-do-wells, significantly more difficult than it bloody has to be. Sit tight and enjoy the show."

Shin rushed ahead, popping through shadow clones as he made a beeline attempt to remove Naruto. The Uzumaki anticipated this and side stepped, sword ready and arms steady. The swung with power in his strike, digging the kunai sword into the boy's stomach. The blade dragged against his skin, slicing through the robes and flesh. Blood sprayed like a fountain, drenching the stone debris of the battle. His body collapsed like a sack of potatoes, thudding like dead weight.

Swinging his sword about, the Uzumaki felt the shaking sensation in his right arm hum with excitement. It was different this time. While the shaking before happened when there was no battle, it felt like a searing pain mixing with his own fears. This time, it felt like joy. His body was excited for a fight; excited for another kill. Shaking his head, the Uzumaki prepared himself for the next two.

They paced around them, watching the three protect Tsunade. Behind them, Kabuto prepared himself to strike at the Toad Sannin battling his master. He was speeding through hand seals and gathering his chakra. With a quick glance, it didn't take much to realize that the arrival of Shin wasn't planned. Kabuto hobbled along, both content and slightly confused in his movements.

"Break these guys apart, they're almost like clones of each other!"

Naruto charged ahead, feeling the ground shake beneath the weight of two giant summons. The first Shin swung at the Uzumaki, blade grazing at his blond locks of hair. Spinning about, he rammed his foot into the young boy's cheek, stumbling the clone in his stance. Shin's arm swung back blades spinning this time. Bringing his kunai sword up, the metal sang and screeched, dulling the sharp end of both weapons. Sparks latched to their flesh and clothing.

Bending back, the great blade stopped spinning and landed with the edges coming too close to his cheeks. Lunging his arm forward, the kunai sword jabbed into the boy's shoulder, spraying blood against his blade. It trickled down, covering his gloved knuckles, slicking into the fingerless tips. Shin's mask fell from his face revealing a pristine, yet terrified face. His eyes were dark and menacing, but lacked any real rage. He was scared. Building chakra to his shoulder, Naruto jumped into the boy, dispersing his chakra on impact, sending Shin flying back in a micro-shower of misted blood. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it sure was enough to knock him unconscious.

Twirling his blade once again, Sakura jumped back, kicking and punching at the other boy who attacked her. She weaved between each attack, probably imagining Jiraiya's own punches and kicks. The punch twisted the air, sending it like bullets behind the girl. Sakura back-flipped, using her smaller, lithe form to her advantage. While her knuckles were busted and bleeding, she didn't have the chance to slow down or even rest. She can't. Shin channeled his chakra – or whatever is powering his heinous kekkei genkai – and extended the length of his weapon, closing the distance for just a mere second – ripping her bare shoulder.

Wincing, Sakura swung back, reaching down and lifting debris. In a moment of fear, chakra rushed her arms and legs, kicking up a large section of the walls. Concentrating on the clone she was targeted by, she rammed her shattered knuckles into the carved stone. It flew across the open battlefield, colliding with the boy she faced. It exploded into shards and smoke. Mixing with the air and blowing wind, his skull had cracked and flesh had cut across his forehead. Blood trickled down his face, revealing his unconsciousness.

Beside her, Sasuke was in a deep duel, slicing, clashing and dodging his opponent. It annoyed him greatly, finding that each clone managed to be at least decent in fighting with a blade. As for tactical knowhow – it needed major improvements. After all, it's good to know how to swing a sword, but if you don't know when to swing it, there's no use. Sasuke learned the hard way many times after training with the various kenjutsu specialists that joined their little rebellion. The Uchiha was considered a prodigy with his blade-work after all. Being matched in such a way sent shivers up and down his spine.

Swinging around, Shin punched at Sasuke, encasing his fist in a dark steel knuckle brace. It almost hit him, but Sasuke managed to activate his Sharingan in time and dodged. Sliding around the unknown boy, he sprang to action. Swiping at defenses and slashing where it mattered, he was actually hitting at the boy's weak areas. The legs – the knees specifically – the shoulders and the back. With the aid of the Sharingan, it should not be too difficult, but Shin kept his defense too strong.

With quick thinking and an experiment on mind, Sasuke dodged the next lunge from Shin, parrying it to kingdom come. Channeling chakra in that moment of reprieve, he could feel it running within his stomach, dragging and rubbing against itself. It sizzled and even started to spark within. But he wasn't trying to create fire based attacks. It tumbled and shot around in high speed rotations within his core. Suddenly, the friction sparked sending electricity across the chakra reserves. The energy traveled with his racing chakra, filling the nerves and tenketsu.

He smiled inwardly as the lightning conducted into the steel blade. Shin's eyes would have widened if Sasuke could see them. Dragging his sword against Shin's own, he shoved the blade into the boy's shoulder, spraying blood across his uncovered face. The boy howled out, screaming in agony, but Sasuke would not kill him. Forcing his leg forward, the boy slid off his sword and collapsed in a heap of blood and fear. Sasuke took a deep breath, his micro battle was over, now they had to face Kabuto. And he was a bundle of mystery if there ever was one.

" **Rasengan!** "

A loud explosion followed after the cry. All heads turned to see Naruto already weaving and punching at the ever elusive, silver-haired twat. Kabuto matched the chunin blow for blow and even knocked him back a few times. Height wasn't the problem – it was distance. The Uzumaki could managed the distance for a mere few seconds but Kabuto would find a way to create a pocket. Naruto had already tried through his rasengan, much like how Ahri would have him _actually_ do it, but the problem wasn't getting it to leave his hand – the problem lied in making it come back.

The blond gave chase, zipping past snakes and a few ninjutsu sent his way, ranging from zooming boulders and water bullets. A few grazed Naruto's whiskered cheeks, but nothing too severe. He ducked and jumped, dipping away from another barrage and furious attack. Rolling over debris, Naruto dashed and grabbed his sword. Repositioning himself, he charged at Kabuto, forming a series of shadow clones to supplement his attack.

One went for the silver-haired man's left flank, while another went for his right. Naruto himself would do his best to attack the front and rear of the ninja. He trusted in his rather green abilities, but what was done, was done. The clones attacked full speed, swords swinging with wind chakra gathering at the edge. As they swung, great gusts of wind raced toward Kabuto, blowing at his clothing and hitai-ate. Dust and debris launched into the air, carried by the powerful erupting gale. The bespectacled shinobi lifted his arms to cover his face from the sharp rocks and shattered glass heading his way.

"Enough!"

Jumping back, the two clones overshot the shinobi, giving him enough time to respond. Spreading his arms out, a soft blue aura of chakra appeared. The smirk he always sported seemed larger, more confident. Speeding towards the two clones with a power unnoticed, he sliced through the first, popping him into smoke and shoved his hand through the second.

"You are way in over your head, _chunin_." Kabuto smirked as he repositioned his glasses. "Do yourself a favor and let Orochimaru take you and train you. Remember, Danzo had a part in the destruction of your people, all Orochimaru-sama ever wanted, was to learn. He marked you because he knew you had incredible potential. I am undeserving of the Curse Mark, that is why I don't have one. But _you_ …Naruto. _You_ alone, have such untapped potential, it would be a waste to not nurture it."

"I'll nurture it, in my own way!" Naruto roared. "Orochimaru destroyed my home; pit friend against friend; killed the Hokage, a man I saw as my grandfather! You think I'm gonna side with him – after everything we've learned, and continue to learn?! You deranged bastard!"

"It's unfortunate that you feel that way."

Charging at one another, a pair of clones appeared from Naruto's sides, each one wielding a sword of their own. Much like the previous attempt, the clones were immediately dispatched. From the smoke of their demise, Naruto arrived, swinging and slicing at the man's arms and legs. He was agile and managed to perceive the attacks beforehand. Shoving his chakra scalpel through Naruto's chest, blood splashed from his mouth and onto Kabuto's face. The blond looked with wide eyes, completely at a loss. Eyes as wide as plates, he trailed them along to witness the battle.

Jiraiya bashed against the snake Sannin, nothing changing. The three boys, Shin, attacked his friends, masks missing, revealing identical faces. The clones beat Sakura into the ground, kicking at her face and surely breaking the bones within her chest. They bashed at Sasuke, turning their seemingly grafted blades into hammers and clubs. He roared out, disarmed and surrounded. They savagely beat the two children, kicking and hitting them until their once clean, creamy skin was dotted with deep purple bruises and cuts deeper than the eyes can see. Sasuke no longer yelled, Sakura no longer squealed in horror. They had to be dead or dying. And Tsunade trembled.

 _S-She's supposed to be a S-Sannin!_ Naruto roared in his mind.

"Naruto!" Ahri shouted within. "Stay with me, idiot! Stay with me!"

Tsunade's eyes were wide and face was pale. She wasn't looking at the children on the verge of death, she was looking at him. An arm lodged through his left pectoral almost reminiscent to what he himself did to Gaara during the exams. She felt numb – the boy who reminded her of her little brother and her lover Dan – died. Kabuto slid his arm from Naruto's chest and dropped him like a sack of potatoes, stifling a laugh as the boy laid there motionless.

"A foolish boy." Kabuto smiled. "It's hilarious. He said he would be Hokage. _Now_ look at him. You on the other hand, Lady Tsunade, are coming with me. Orochimaru-sama would be pleased."

"Y-You stay back!" Tsunade backed away, collapsing on her butt. "All of you!"

The Shin clones turned their heads to her, sheathing their bloodied weapons into their flesh. Stepping on the unconscious shinobi, and even delivering a final kick to Sasuke's face, they waltzed along towards the Senju.

"Well…" Kabuto drew a kunai, a menacing smirk stretched across his face. "For the trouble, you've caused me…"

"Hey!" A raspy voice called.

All heads turned to the source. Naruto unzipped his jumpsuit and hurled his undershirt away, revealing the great gaping hole in his chest. Slowly but surely, flame-like tattoos spread from his abdomen and across his chest, glowing, not with a purple hue, but a blood red one. It wrapped around his body, encasing him in a soft warm coating like a body-glove. His eyes were no longer blue, shimmering with a crimson hue and dark slit pupils. His whisker marks darkened, thickened and spread across his face like real whiskers.

What made him truly terrifying, blood red chakra, searing hot from the sheer distortion of air and color, that flowed from his seal. It wrapped around him, creating a soft cloak of power. From the base of his tailbone, two tails made of bubbling hot crimson chakra formed, swishing side to side. His teeth elongated, protruding from his lips, shining in the dull light of the sun above. Hair rose though, spiking up to form what looked like horns filling in the giant protruding chakra ears on his head.

"W-What is this?!" Kabuto shouted. "How did you undo Orochimaru-sama's chakra in the seal?!"

" **Fuck you, that's how.** " Naruto smirked. " **Let's see how you match up to this!** "

The hole in his chest closed the rear first, allowing light to shine on the lungs reforming and the blood vessels realigning. The tissue wrapped against his new organs and soon enough skin had grown back. Any sign of danger and death had disappeared from his visage. Raising his arm, all the blood red chakra seeped into the palm of his hand, coalescing into a single point. His features returned to normal, hair dropped, eyes turned cerulean and his whisker marks had resigned to single lines. But the result of this was magnificent as it was terrifying.

An orb the size of a small child was spinning and radiating energy in his palm. Despite the chakra used to make it, the orb was a deep blue, calm and resting. Rotating around it, a pair of rings spiraled the gigantic orb. Inside, at least eighteen different rotations were seen and a great flaming soul resided in the center. Despite its size, it was as light as a feather.

"This is called the Orb of Deception, Kabuto." Naruto smirked. "Choke on it!"

Hurling his arm forward, the gargantuan orb rushed forward, kicking grass, dirt and even debris out of the way. The sheer amount of power added to the attack wasn't for show. The Shin clones backed away, eyes wide with fear at the prospect of meeting such a monstrosity up close. Kabuto though, the ever-confident bastard he was, stood his ground, watching the orb come closer. Timing his evasion to the most minute detail, he calculated his response.

Dodging the ball at the perfect moment, the humongous orb overshot him. Smirking at his plan, Kabuto left Tsunade and charged at Naruto with chakra scalpels activated in his hands. Naruto was defenseless. His use of the Curse Mark and the Kyuubi's chakra within him, left him dilapidated. He was sweating profusely and had fallen to a knee. He was weak, he was ripe for the taking, he was –

Suddenly, a great weight pressed against his spine. It was volatile, ripping and pushing against his running body. He could barely manage to choke out a roar of pair before he was lifted off his feet and set careening towards the blond ninja in front of him. Lodged into his spine, the gargantuan orb of energy was digging deeper into his flesh, ripping the skin in eighteen different ways and with the heat of the fire within its core, he could feel his skin and muscles burned at the mere proximity. If he didn't know any better, he felt that the beast of an attack was trying to drill through his body.

"Y'know, Kabuto." Naruto roared. "The fun part about people who doubt me…"

The ball forced Kabuto towards Naruto. A shadow clone appeared behind him, a glare spread on his face. The real Naruto stepped forward, his sword wielded and ready attack.

"They always end up wrong in the end!" Kabuto's eyes widened. "I'm not dying until I become Hokage; you best believe it!"

Swinging with all his might, the orb carried Kabuto's body with it towards his clone's open hand. His head swung about with a thick trail of blood following its descent to the dirt and stone rubble beneath them. Strength lost in him, the Uzumaki fell to his knees, sword loose from his hands. Behind him, the clone let the headless body collapse and caught the orb, absorbing its energy and dispelled.

Tsunade hobbled up to him, completely speechless. "N-Naruto…h-how…"

Behind him, the shadow clone exploded. Naruto's skin gained color and muscles grew once again. His face was no longer sunken in and his eyes were no longer a dull blue. He looked up at Tsunade with a cheeky smirk.

"You owe me, Baa-chan." Naruto said with a shit-eating grin. "Right now, Sakura and Sasuke need your help."

"What will you do?!" Tsunade pushed him to the ground. "You're so weak right now, using up chakra the way you did – don't get me started on that technique you just used! Rest for at least a few moments before joining the battle."

"Baa-chan." Naruto called out. "Thank you for not running away."

* * *

 **So Naruto getting wrecked is understandable. The Kid is a friggen KID  
going against a Sannin (when Tsunade punched him) and a guy who's  
basically _THE_ spy of the Narutoverse. Sasuke is on the same level as  
Naruto is. Sakura just happened to use the two boys as her inspiration  
to fight and all. **

**Give a man with no conviction a shovel to dig a hole, he'd probably take a nap.  
Give a man with the desire to do what he can a stick to do the same; he'll dig  
to the center of the Earth**

 **So yeah. Kabuto is dead. He annoyed the shit out of me throughout  
the series man. Like grievously annoyed me. And I've been watching  
Naruto for like twelve years.**

 **Next Chapter: The resolution of the battle of Tanzaku Gai  
and the Rebellion starts to take its first steps to liberating Konohagakure!  
But who is Shin and what are the Iwagakure shinobi plotting?**

 **Read, review and favorite guys!**

 **ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	12. The Weight of Our Struggles

**Howdy y'all!**

 **It's been a long ass time since I updated this fic  
it's because damn, I started the trend of long ass chapters  
I felt it would be a little harsh to have left y'all for so long  
only to be rewarded with a 4-6k word chapter!**

 **Again, I'm so sorry that it took so long to update!  
I promise it won't be so long between this and the next update!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or League of Legends  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Weight of Our Struggles**

 _"It's beautiful…" Ahri whispered._

 _A man sat beside her, long black hair falling to the ground. His eyes watched aimlessly as the moon rose against the tree line, glimmering upon the surface of the great lake. Ahri the adorable fox spirit sat beside him, blood red eyes gazing upon his figure with pride and amorous adoration._

 _"I knew you would like it, Ahri." The man wrapped his arm over her shoulder. "You've done well lately. Chakra has been maintained and there hasn't been any sign of resurgence of the nine-tails rage. I'm proud of you."_

 _"Thank you." The woman blushed in his embrace. Large bushy tails wrapped around him and herself, hiding their bodies from the cold, freezing winds. "I honestly couldn't have done it without you, Master."_

 _"What do you mean?" He stifled a soft laugh, hands sliding against her thick white tails. "You're amazing in your own right – everything you did was with your own strength."_

 _"No…" She rose to meet him eye to eye. "What I meant…you…you gave me everything that I've always wanted, Master…a friend, a teacher…a lover…"_

 _Even in shadowy cloak of night, the fox spirit could see perfectly well within the darkness. The man did everything he could to hide his ever-deepening blush. "I mean…y-you're not wrong…"_

 _Ahri burst into laughter, sounding angelic to the dark-haired man. "How do you find that embarrassing? It's cute."_

 _"Oh, shut up…" He turned to face her. Half his face shrouded in darkness with the other glowing underneath the light of the moon. Raising a hand, her soft fingers trailed against his smooth skin, drawing a smile upon his hardened features. "You don't know what you do to me, Ahri…I don't know how…but…"_

 _"Shut up and kiss me already…"_

 _The two closed the distance, lips locked in a soft embrace. Her lips were thick and plump against his thin line. Despite it, rampant explosions of volatile electricity and euphoric heat rushed through her body. It was exceptional, incredible, and life-changing. A searing hot blush grew on her whiskered cheeks; he pressed back against her, relishing the feel of her lips against his._

 _"Master…" Ahri whispered._

 _"Say my name, Ahri." He pressed his forehead against hers, eyes locking with hers. "Just this once…please…"_

 _Ma –_

Ahri looked up, blood red irides beaming with a simmering heat. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, filling her with a ravaging disappointment. Hands fell loose to the Hanbok hem, fingers tightening around it, clenching the silk fabric in her palms. Memories were coming back full force, every emotion and sensation fluttered into her mind, forcing a soft twitch from her fox ears. Ahri's blush was bright and warm, heating her body from face to fists.

Rising from her seat, she watched the world around her in great detail. Naruto was vicious and quick to take down Kabuto. It brought a beaming, face-splitting smile to her face. The Orb of Deception was perfected and now, there was absolutely nothing left for her to teach him. The size of the orb was magnificent, the usage of it was sublime. How he managed to call it back to him, Ahri had no idea.

"Noona!" Naruto's voice echoed in the mindscape. "I fucking did it!"

"That you did, Dong-saeng!" Ahri cheered within. "But don't wait up now! You need to save Sasuke and Sakura from those Shin clones!"

"Will do!"

In the physical realm, Tsunade was awestruck at how insanely quick the Uzumaki healed up. His cuts, malnourishment and emaciated limbs had healed and gained thickness. Without even thinking, he channeled his chakra into an incredibly thin line, latching onto his dropped blade. Like a fishing rod, the chakra string reeled back into his tenketsu and chakra coils, pulling the blade to his hands. With everything else he'd done so far, he left all who were present to witness in awe.

"Baa-chan, stay back…I got this."

* * *

There were times that Naruto knew he'd messed up and accepted his distant failures. He just never knew failure of this kind would be coming so soon. Of course, failure was nothing new to him; a heavy weight would descend on his shoulders like a ton. Upon the terror and embarrassment, he was certain of what would follow. Eyes would fall to the floors or dirt beneath his sandaled feet. His body would speak when his own words would flee. This, was that horrifying moment.

Smoke rose into the air around him, climbing from the dancing fires. Standing with sweat pouring down his brows, he dropped his sword. Arm bloodied and blade slicked, the Uzumaki couldn't continue like this. Pain unlike any other shredded from the soles of his feet like a rampant disease, ripping through his muscles and tendons. Collapsing to the drenched dirt, his knees splashed in a soft pool of blood. Once glowing sapphire blues; his eyes had washed dull, lacking the once wondrous glimmer. He couldn't face what he'd done; littering what remained of the battlefield around him, Shin clones and a few nameless shinobi laid; faces contorted in fear and terror.

Breath grew short, racing within his heaving chest. Air rushed from his lungs as his blood sped within his veins. His bloodied drenched phalanges had somehow found themselves upon his scalp, grabbing at the follicles greased in sweat. What little chakra he had, dissipated into the wind. His mind pounded within his skull, screeching at a numbing high pitch, drilling into his bones like a wailing spirit. Naruto clenched his teeth, struggling against the twitching trauma as it resurfaced. Slowly but surely, his forearm began to shake uncontrollably. The blood barely dry painted the blond boy's face, showing the severity of his actions.

"A-Ahri…" Naruto whispered, unable to gather his wits. "I c-couldn't stop…"

The fox was silent, once more. She stood within the mindscape, soft-spoken and worried. He did what he had to do, but _this_ was more than self-defense – this was a massacre. Ahri clenched her fists, tails swishing through the air, seething with rage at the Curse Seal glowing, emanating its poisonous energy throughout the area. Her blood-red eyes watched as its chakra seeped into the metal floors and walls, absorbed into the internal pipes, probably leading to his chakra coils.

But as silence had fallen, a soul-ripping cry rocked the mindscape, sending Ahri to her knees as well. Terror flooded the mindscape, followed by something that she could only describe as _sorrow_. He cried, shouting, begging for forgiveness to whatever deity was listening. His right arm had fallen to his chest, fist balled against his speeding heart. The Gumiho could hear him beat his chest, grab at the clenching pain within and there was nothing she could do but watch. Her chakra would do nothing but enrage or worse; depress him further.

He roared once more, this time cocking his right arm back, channeling energy into the knuckles and forearm. What resulted sent shivers up and down Ahri's spine. His fist connected with the bloodied mud, shattering his knuckles, bones and spraining his wrist to near beyond repair. But he didn't cry, didn't shout or groan in pain. He stayed like that, fist lodged into the ground, bleeding, shedding his agony in the only way he knew how.

His eyes, for the first time, squinted open, bloodshot and beating within his half-lidded glare. Looking upon the bloodbath, Shin clones, ranging from preteen to young adult littered the field. A moment had passed before the Curse Mark once again vibrated against his abdomen, searing upon his stomach. It had latched upon his emotions, feeding every chemical spilling into his brain. These clones were bred for the sole purpose of dying. A boy was created for the sole purpose of dying – Naruto wouldn't stand for this.

Slowly, flame markings spread around his body, covering him head to toe. Instead of black or purple; the markings were a dark blood red, disappearing with his own open wounds and cuts. His eyes darkened, sclera turning black and pupils bleeding crimson. Hair ruffled with black streaks forming within the blond, but after a few moments, overtook his once sunshine colored hair. Naruto roared out, shaking the rubble, grass and craters. Black chakra shot from his body, cutting great holes within the land itself.

" **Damn you, Orochimaru!** " Naruto's voice was demonic, delirious, and horrific. Sasuke, Sakura and Tsunade looked upon his figure, terrorized by what the Curse Mark had done to him. " **Damn you and all the filth like you! I will rid the world your scum! I will rid the world of YOU –!"**

Before the Uzumaki could continue his tirade; a great gauntleted hand slammed against his forehead. The effects were immediate. Seals and fuinjutsu spread from the small calligraphy and covered his entire body. The blood red flame tattoos fled to the Curse Mark on his stomach. His eyes cooled back to their beautiful sapphire and his hair had gained its radiance. Once the sealing was complete, Naruto collapsed into the man's arms.

"Jeez kid…" Jiraiya held the shirtless blond like a caring father. "You and your dad have a lot in common…Orochimaru escaped, let's get going alright?"

* * *

"Tanzaku Gai was destroyed?" Kurotsuchi asked with a raised brow. "What the hell? How? Why? There're no shinobi there…"

"Apparently, Namikaze Minato's son was there with his team and a fight broke out between him and Orochimaru of the Sannin." An Iwa jōnin looked up from her scrolls. "The entire city was leveled in the battle. Almost all the civilians had died in the confrontation and Orochimaru apparently revealed one of his secret weapons."

"What kind of weapon?" Kuro was intrigued. "And what was the son of the Yondaime doing in Tanzaku Gai?"

"We don't know what he was doing there but it obviously has something to do with the Sannin." The jōnin responded with a frown. "One can assume that Konoha is trying to regain the Legendary Three after the Konoha Crush. And with the Professor dead, the Konoha Tree huggers are going to need all the help they can get. Now onto the secret weapon; Orochimaru somehow found someone with a Kekkei Genkai that allows them to multiply themselves into solid clones; or something else far more sinister."

"Solid clones?" Kurotsuchi looked almost unimpressed. "We already have ninjutsu for that."

"No, no, no." The jōnin blushed at her lack of foresight. "What I meant; these clones are solid; blood vessels, internal organs, brains, chakra coils. Each one was a clone of some master template being. Either it's a Kekkei Genkai or…"

"Or what?" Kurotsuchi asked.

"Or they're actual clones." The woman responded with a dead stare. "Orochimaru is one of the most feared missing ninja in history, almost up there with the likes of Uchiha Madara. If anyone among our Five Great Elemental Nations would manage to find the secrets to cloning – it would be that evil bastard."

"So, add genetic modification to the list alongside unethical experimentation, desertion and grave desecration." Kurotsuchi groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Konoha just gets more fun and interesting, doesn't it?"

"Also, news on Konoha, my lady." The jōnin nodded her head. "The new Hokage, the Godaime, has begun to repair the village's infrastructure. So far, very little news or reports are returning to us or any of our neighboring countries. Everything I'm about to tell you is just from my own observations of the situation. Konoha isn't the village we knew or remembered before the Crush. Something happened; the Godaime or whatever – with their Jinchuriki so far away from home and complete confidentiality of information – something is terribly wrong."

"Why do you care so much about the Konoha Tree huggers so much?" Kurotsuchi crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't want to go to war." The jōnin answered. "None of my friends want to go to war; I don't want my sister or brother to die in the field. If the Son of the Yondaime is as incredible as the rumors are painting – I'd rather not have those I love cast down."

A hot glare grew on Kurotsuchi's face. Turning on her heels, the kunoichi huffed and left the information bureau of the Tsuchikage tower. Heeled sandals clapped against the stone flooring and stair steps. Chakra riddled her core, spiraling within her coils and tenketsu. She needed to relieve herself with training – anger was always the best fuel to work out with. _How could she even say that?! Damn the Yondaime and his legacy – damn him and his legend!_

The woman trudged along, practically stomping her feet into the stone steps. Her sandals clacked through the stone halls. Iwa jōnin and fellow chunin backed away, parting to let the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage to pass. They themselves heard of the news, the great battles and the so far, near impossible feats the son of the Yondaime Hokage had managed. Sympathy and even glares that seemed to mirror her own plastered upon the appearance. They agreed with her, but that nagging feeling whispered into their minds, telling them otherwise.

She was going to start a war if she had her way but what could they say? Her father and grandfather are curious, daresay interested in a war with the Village Hidden in the Leaves. They were humiliated in the last Great War, thousands cut like wheat to scythe, covering the battlefields with their blood, unavenged. They wanted war but they couldn't bring themselves to put their friends and family in that position. Consciousness flooded the ranks and neighborhoods, revanchist movements sprung up, remembering the war, remembering how defeated they were at the end, and Kurotsuchi was a ticking time bomb to open the barely stitched festering wounds.

"Damn them." She whispered to herself. "Damn them all…we need to bring the Konoha scum to their knees, we need to bring them to see the pain and suffering they have brought onto us. We can't stay like this, decadent and waiting like fools for slaughter. Damn what happened in the last war – we won't make the same mistakes we did, we learned from them."

"Kurotsuchi." A gruff voice sounded in her ears. "Come with me. We need to talk."

* * *

"Alright…" A man sighed, leaning into his chair. "You've brought her here more or less unscathed. But the three of you look like you have seen better days. Jiraiya-sama told me most of the story but I want to hear it from the three of you."

"Itachi–!" Tsunade began.

The Uchiha frowned. "Tsunade-sama, please. I want to know what happened from them. My brother was in trouble, his closest friends were in grave danger. Both Naruto and Sasuke have curse marks – a Fuin technique created by Orochimaru – your teammate who just so happened to want to find you at the same time as Danzo. Jiraiya-sama left things out, I can tell so I want to hear everything – every detail, uncensored."

"We got our asses kicked, Itachi." Naruto spoke. "They came at us so viciously, beating us and even nearly killed us."

"Danzo had a presence there." Sasuke added. "He sent a small team of chunin and jōnin along with a pair of Foundation Agents that met with Orochimaru. From what we heard, they apparently had a deal set with the damn snake."

"A deal…?" Itachi paced. The other Clan Heads gathered gasped in despair, sighing and looking away. "This complicates many things…but go on."

"Naruto and I activated our curse marks to fight the Foundation." Sasuke spoke. "They were different from the regular shinobi we fought. We ended up killing them before they could lay a hand on Tsunade-sama. It was tough but we managed the first bout."

"T-Then…" Sakura piped slowly. "Then Kabuto summoned a giant purple snake that destroyed Tanzaku-Gai and the great castle that stood over it. We fought in the shade of smoke and rubble for a while but there was little we – I could do. I stayed with Tsunade-sama while Naruto and Sasuke fought the snake. Before we knew it, Shin clones arrived."

"Yes." Itachi frowned. "Jiraiya-sama told me about them. He also told me how Naruto killed Kabuto. I think we've heard enough. Don't all of you agree?"

A collection of affirmatives and huffs were heard from the gathered Clan Heads. With a nod, Itachi turned to face his brother. "Team Seven deserves rest after all they went through in Tanzaku-Gai. Go, enjoy the rest of today and tomorrow. We need to get Tsunade-sama caught up and let her know our situation."

The three teens nodded their heads and moved along, waltzing through the great room. They passed shinobi and ANBU, ignoring their sympathetic looks and nods of respect. What they did didn't resonate like heroism. More so, Naruto. His arm started to shake again but nowhere close to the way it felt during the Chunin Exams. He continued walking, mind wandering, thinking of what happened in Tanzaku. He'd let himself go too far, and lost himself in the fight.

Those boys, clones or not, were sentient, had a mind of their own. But in the end, Naruto took their lives before they could even start one free of Orochimaru's ilk. He could see their faces, contorted, twisted and wrought. The pain he dealt to them, was unnecessary and he swore he could have done it a different way. Killing Kabuto, brought an end to the fight so quickly – in hindsight, one would thinking killing him first would be paramount. But no – he concentrated too much, releasing his rage and the power in his core, he struck them down as cruel as he did Kabuto.

Scowling at himself, trying to stop the shaking arm with his vice-like clutch, he hissed, breaking away from Sasuke and Sakura. Much to their displeasure, he ignored their inquiries and worried looks. To his surprise, Sakura understood what he needed better than the Uchiha he saw as a brother. It was the pinkette that dragged the boy away to give Naruto the needed time away to think. He couldn't bring himself to smile, he couldn't bring himself to feel even _thankful_ for anything thus far. Taking lives in droves – there was nothing to feel proud of.

 _Is this what my father had to go through after creating and using the Hiraishin?_ The blond thought.

"If you want to know?" Ahri asked within. "Yeah. Almost to a tee. The both of you are so similar it's almost like I'm living déjà vu every waking second with you."

 _I'm glad that you're getting a kick out of my suffering._ Naruto chided.

"I think you Uzumaki are too dramatic for your own good." Ahri shook her head. "You're hardly suffering in ways that you can't control."

 _What do you mean by that, Noona?_

"I mean what I damn well said." Ahri smiled softly. "You are as dramatic as your mother, damn it. You're living, breathing and better yet; still fighting. That isn't suffering."

 _I guess you're right…but still. What I did…_

"What you did was to survive, Dong-saeng." Ahri shook her head. "Don't be so childish. Shin would have killed you and your friends. Tell me this – would Shin feel the remorse you're feeling for him if the tables were turned?"

 _I can't say for sure._

"Uh, no. Don't bullshit me."

 _No. They wouldn't._

"You're goddamn right they wouldn't." Ahri sighed. "There's no point getting your panties in such a twist, thinking about fools you killed."

 _But I don't want to desensitize myself to killing. I don't want to be another cog in the war machine._ Naruto hissed. _Ignoring the humanity of the people I killed…what does that make me?_

"A survivor." Ahri finished. "It would make you a survivor. And they were hardly human – they were more likely than not, grown in a glass tube. That doesn't sound like a loving mother's womb to me."

 _That's subjective._ Naruto glared. _What about you, huh? Spirits aren't born from a mother's womb._

"Well…" Ahri laughed. " **I** am not human. You tend to forget, Dong-saeng. You've been forgetting that recently."

 _I'm sorry._ Naruto blushed. _I…_

"Don't sweat it." Ahri nodded. "You're angry – you're _suffering_ as you put it. Now's the best time to get some training in. You down?"

 _You know me too well._ Naruto huffed, moving along.

* * *

 _One month later…_

Night had fallen at the Uchiha Hideout. Banners waved in the whipping winds, cold for the autumn began to slip in. Around the base, men and women hobbled about from the barracks to their hovels and beyond. The palisades were completed, with makeshift defenses constructed out of wood and stone. Food wasn't in a bad position just yet, thankfully, but it could be better. Clothing, warmth and all the other necessities weren't as good as they could be. What they were lacking though – morale. It had been dropping lately.

News of what Team Seven faced while out there, searching for Tsunade didn't sit well with many of the novice shinobi and the shell-shocked civilians. There was an energy in the air, one that hovered with great uncertainty, curious of when and where Danzo would strike next. If he'd already managed to brainwash the shinobi forces that remained loyal so quickly, it was almost unanimous among the shinobi, they were already making it to their last legs.

But even worse, news of Iwagakure building their forces to the north-west, sent shivers up and down the spines of the rebel commanders – more so, Itachi. He slaughtered his family to avoid this kind of troop movement. He did everything he could to deny the enemy villages the pleasure of seeing Konoha weak. Thanks to Danzo, everything he'd done was for nothing. Iwagakure, the most hated enemy among the plethora of Konoha's rivals, had caught wind of their weakness – and if they were smart, they'd wait for the last moment in the war and strike at both him and his rebels and strike down Danzo in one single stroke.

Itachi sighed, staring at the sky, eyeing the moon with a frown. Black eyes found nothing in the dark expanse. No shooting stars, not even the twinkling gemstones hidden away. No omens, no sign from the heavens. For a moment, the boy felt there was nothing left for them to do – to accomplish. All he wanted was a sign from the gods, a sign from _anyone_. There were times he felt that the weight of the world was inherently his to carry, being an Uchiha was the proverbial badge of honor after all. Now, that sentiment increased tenfold, looking upon the dark heavens and the lack of stars in the night.

Looking down, his people, his rebels, were sleeping in makeshift tents, barracks and they were already dangerously close to running out of supplies. What they needed were allies, better yet, a miracle. Huffing to himself, he crossed his arms over his chest, eyes closing. A miracle would definitely bring up the dwindling morale of the men. Eyes hovered over towards the higher levels of the Hideout, finding a boy wearing a black jumpsuit with long coattails that waved in the growing winds. The blond hair gave away just who exactly this person was.

His thoughts danced around in his mind, thinking of the blond. Naruto had been through several levels of shit and somehow, found the strength to keep standing on his two feet. As wobbly and unsteady he seemed to be, the boy was persistent – something Itachi was glad about. His persistence saved the rebellion and his own little brother. Smirking to himself, Naruto was definitely the Son of the Fourth. But, his sadness, struggle and suffering – as much as the boy tried to hide it, it was beginning to show. This wasn't the first night that he saw Naruto sitting on the railing of his balcony, staring endlessly towards Konoha.

Shaking his head, he took off into the air, landing beside the Uzumaki rife with contemplation. Landing beside the Uzumaki, Itachi made sure to stay silent. Conversation wasn't his best strength, but there was an inkling of suspicion that what Naruto really needed was a welcoming ear. The boy in black and orange didn't make any movements to show that he noticed him appearing beside him, only simply keeping his blue eyes pointed towards the tree infested horizon, glowing in the light of the great moon hovering above them.

"You know…when I woke up, I was hoping to find a white ceiling and the same large windows beating the beams of sunlight through the barely shut blinds. Big vocabulary, I know. I just remember what the hospital looked like with such vivid clarity. After all, I'd wake up there a lot when I was a child." Naruto spoke. He kept his gaze steady, not once turning to face Itachi. "However, this time, when I woke up, I found trees and falling leaves. I thought I was dead."

The Uchiha was about to speak, but Naruto's sniffle sounded in his ears. "When I was stuck in my coma, I was attacked by my fears. They took a physical form and I…I lost the will to keep fighting back. I was attacked by my closest friends and they said things that I prayed endlessly to never hear; especially from Sasuke. He's like the brother I never had…the closest friend I've ever had. So, I'm certain you can understand my surprise when he hugs me and called me his brother when I wake up. When we arrived here, everyone welcomed me as a hero, the exact opposite of what my mind told me and continues to tell me…I don't know if it's my anxiety or…this goddamned curse mark on my stomach…"

"I hear things when I'm not paying attention. The Kyuubi inside me…she does her best to soothe the pain, but nothing, I fear, will make the voices stop until I remove this stupid seal. What makes it worse, the voices aren't just those of the people close to me and in my life, there are voices that I don't even know. I can only assume they are the voices of the lives that I've let die during my battles. That kind of guilt…it's agonizing…I can't fight the voices and what they're saying, Itachi-niisan."

"They're so demeaning, so harsh and belittling. There are voices of men and women in this very camp that sound in the back, wishing nothing more than pain and failure for me. Every night, my dreams are haunted by their hatred and their rage, it's too much. I don't know how to fight it anymore and the Kyuubi's ability to hold back my anxiety is waning with each night I lose sleep."

"You're not sleeping well?" Itachi asked worriedly.

Naruto nodded hastily. "I try to sleep but the voices take that as an invitation to attack me. When I'm wide awake, they can't hurt me. When I'm able to see my body and my mind is my own, they can't control me…but as soon as I close my eyes to sleep, the Curse Mark starts vibrating against my stomach, twisting me and pulling me against my will. It's…it's overwhelming."

Itachi watched the horizon with the boy, one knee up, letting him rest his elbow against his kneecap. "Naruto. If you were having this problem and if it's as severe as it is, you should have told me, or at least spoke to Tsunade-sama about it – she is the greatest medic ninja in all the Elemental Nations. Surely, she can spare time to help the boy who saved her life."

"She could, but she's already too busy helping the sick civilians and the wounded shinobi who return from missions. I can't take up a space that someone could be waiting for." Naruto quickly spilled. His eyes seemed dull all of a sudden, revealing to Itachi just how exhausted the blond was. "It wouldn't be fair to the families who risked everything to come with us…it wouldn't be fair to the shinobi who lost everything…"

"Honor is one thing, Naruto. Neglecting your health for the sake of others is also a different thing, though it's understandable if you mix the two up." Itachi spoke wisely. "You shouldn't put your health at risk for the sake of the well-being of others, especially when you yourself needs the healing as much as they do."

"But I don't…"

"But you do. Anxiety, depression, the mental trauma – those are all real problems, Naruto. That shaking your arm experiences isn't a sign of proper health either. These are real problems with real consequences that if not rectified, will have real effects on those close to you, not just you. Do you understand what I'm saying, Naruto? If you passed out on a mission and your teammates had to catch you, putting themselves in danger, whose fault would it be?"

"I know…" Naruto moaned with a rolling eye. "I've heard this from the Kyuubi and from Sasuke and Sakura, so many times, but in the end, Itachi…I can't stop myself from doing this. I can't just shut off and let things be, swinging about on a hammock. I've tried absolutely everything, but when it comes to the endangerment of other people and mission effectiveness, there's no point in pursuing it."

"Naruto…I know a thing or two about emotions…" Itachi's eyes trailed to the direction of Konoha. Having done the same thing as Naruto was doing so many times since he was on the run, the location of his beloved village was a place burned in his memory. "Depression…anxiety…it…it's too much sometimes, isn't it? Like you just want to lay down and let everything roll over you. I know. The pain I felt from murdering my clan still echoes in my heart, reminding me of my faults and shortcomings. But I owed it to myself and the only family I had left – I had to keep fighting no matter what. I won't say my problems are gone, but I found reason to keep going."

"Telling you my pain is worse or less, is counter-productive, Naruto. I won't tell you what you want to hear and I refuse to guilt-trip you. I will say this – you say you see Sasuke as a brother you never had and Sakura as the sister you never had – Shikamaru, Ino, the rest of your fellow genin as the closest thing to family you've ever had – even the fox in your stomach, she seems like something else entirely, yes?"

 ** _A man after my own heart._** Ahri giggled softly, blowing at her nails. **_My kind of man._**

"They are why you live – so you've told me." Itachi bore a rare smile. "Remind yourself who you are and why you fight. Be the voice in the mirror that points you in the right direction. You may think you don't need it, but believe me, Naruto-kun, you need it. Sometimes an army of fans isn't what you need – the only fan you need is yourself. Life hit you, my brother, your sister, and your comrades hard, harder than anyone expected. Regardless of what happened, I know you can bounce back from this and get back on your feet. Most importantly of all, I know you know, deep down inside, that your fire isn't doused yet."

Rising to his feet, the Uchiha rested a calm hand on the boy's head, ruffling his blond hair. "Naruto, you might not be certain, but I truly see you as another dear little brother – I won't let anyone turn me against my family again, nor will I ever let anyone hurt you or Sasuke. I swear it to you."

"Itachi…" Naruto looked at the man with tears streaming down his whiskered face. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore…being Hokage seems so unimportant, while at the same time, I don't know what I'll do or become if I let go of that dream. It was all I had growing up…it was the only anchor I had to the village. It wasn't until recently that I found real reason and found friendships worth cherishing. I'm learning that there are so many things happening in the shadows and becoming Hokage doesn't seem like a viable solution anymore."

"I…I can train all day if I want, I can go out on more missions looking for people like Baa-chan, it won't do a damn thing. I feel lost and it's the most terrifying feeling I've ever known. When I first met the Kyuubi feels like a Sunday picnic compared to how I feel right now. I just want direction, some help, a sign…"

"Sometimes, Naruto, you don't need a goal in life. What you need is to fix yourself before you decide to take on the world. A castle with bad foundation will fall under the weight of its first siege – a castle rooted into the ground, steady and firm can withstand even the longest of sieges." Itachi smiled softly. "Regardless of your decisions, regardless of whether or not you want to hold on to that wonderful dream you have – you'll have the Uchiha Clan beside you, now and forever."

He disappeared into the night, like the truly badass he was, leaving the blond to his own devices. Watching the trees rustle beneath the moonlight was more than enough to shake his soul within his chest. Shutting his eyes for the first time in a while, he let his mind wander, latching onto the mindscape before reappearing before Ahri, the beautiful Gumiho whimpering and crying.

"Ahri?" Naruto ran up to her, holding her shoulders with a caring hand. "W-What's wrong?!"

She looked to him with giant tears falling from her eyes. Her whiskered cheeks stained deeply, streaking across her smooth skin and dripping to the water covered floor below. Her Hanbok ruffled and seemed stressed with her shaking pale body. Her thick lips curled but contracted and continued the indecisiveness, switching between emotions as she continued to weep.

"What Itachi said…" She said through sobs. "That was so beautiful! So poetic…aigo, my face, it's so hot and I haven't stopped crying!"

Naruto was silent, almost too silent. His coarse hands contrasted her smooth shoulders, forcing her to look at him truly. "Are…are you fucking serious right now?"

He snickered. It came out like a stifled cough, but the snickering continued, shaking his shoulders and rolling his clothes against his body. Soon, it grew into laughter, rumbling and gliding across the mindscape like a masterpiece of musical genius. Warm, bushy white tails stretched about, clasping the Uzumaki as he laughed his frustrations away. His joy rumbled against the bones within, rupturing within her soul, singing a new beat and song for the spirit, holding him closer to her body.

He laughed, holding onto the tails with a grip that seemed to be a cry for help. A silent one that Ahri was going to make sure to not ignore. Holding him to her chest, his laughter devolved to tears. His arms wrapped around her as tightly as he could hold her, daring not to loosen his grip. She was his anchor, his last hint of sanity holding him together. Her arms stuck to him, unable to release him. Surrounding the both of them, her thick white tails danced around them, holding them together in a white lotus of fur. Her love, her care and honest, genuine emotion was bared for the boy, reminding him he wasn't alone anymore.

He didn't need to be afraid anymore – he had all the reasons he could ask for holding him like a yarn ball. Any tighter, she was afraid she'd shatter his bones, but with the tightening pressure of her arms, he returned the favor, pressing his body against hers, staining her skin with his tears. While nothing new, he had never held her before, sharing their warmth between their bodies and appendages, even their limbs tangled together as a mash of bone and flesh, muscle and tendons. Now, she didn't want to let go, even under the steaming gaze of the demons within the mindscape, the fears he has taking physical form, she would not let him go.

As his cries turned silent and to soft snores, her tails gathered around the two of them, protecting the sweet boy asleep against her buxom chest. Amidst the shouts and the voices crying for his death, even with the clashing of blades against her tails and the flesh beneath her thick and marvelous fur, she took the pain for the boy she held. His snores, his bliss and sleep drowning the howls and the curses spat by the demons beyond her barrier. A stray tear fell from the corner of her eyes, feeling his racing heartbeat calm, slowing to something manageable, something that a sleeping boy should have.

Repositioning their bodies and her tails, she too laid back into her tails, ignoring the punches, the blades and the kicks against her tails. Leaning Naruto into her chest, the boy took to the new position, stretching and moving about, leaning into the pillows completely unaware of what was happening. He snored, louder with each passing second and with it, she could hear the ghostly whipping of wind and the vanishing of smoke. Smiling to herself, the fears he had were disappearing in her embrace, the demons that crawled about the shadows vanished, to the dark recesses that they came.

Sighing in relief as the last spectre disappeared into the distant void of the mindscape, the Curse Mark and all of its malevolent ire, would not claim her container tonight. Resting a hand against the back of her head and another resting on Naruto's sleeping form, running fingers through his blond hair, she glared at the vicious thing floating against where the seal of her cage used to be. The three black magatama glowing and fleeting as the seconds passed, but it no longer felt as if a weight rested on their shoulders – now, it felt like it was nothing more than a symbol _there_.

"Naruto…" She sighed, letting her crimson eyes trail to the teen snoring away without a care in the world, gripping her Hanbok as he did. "Sleep well, Jagiya."

* * *

Naruto woke up, a bellowing roar of a yawn escaping his mouth. His muscles were sore, but felt at ease. Even his legs, lounged against footrests that sat in front of his balcony chair, he realized he fell asleep on his balcony after talking to Itachi. Rising to his feet, he stretched once more, feeling energy rush through his body. It wasn't chakra, or else he felt the furniture around him would be whipping and dancing about the area. He couldn't describe it, the feeling, the emotion, and the heat running through his body, it felt foreign but familiar. Was it something that he lost?

Staring off into the distance, the bridges that connected the Uchiha Hideout to the rest of the forest, crossing over the valley gorge, barriers were constructed and shinobi of their little rebellion were fixing their defenses and traps across the length of the Hideout's perimeter. Against the base of the leveled terraces, the tents were no longer a sprawl of hovels, replaced with clean tarps and even great earthen constructs towering above the levels and even few tents, encasing them completely. There was a movement, a joyous step in the people below – as if their morale had risen within the night.

Naruto couldn't believe himself – he was actually awake. His arm hung beside him, not a shake to be felt. His heart no longer pounded against his chest, threatening to burst through his bones and skin at any moment. The fears he had in the back of his mind, extinguished like the black inferno they were. Even the voices, the cruel, menacing words, the curses and the hateful words he had become so ready to receive, were silent. Not a syllable, not even a whistling ghost ready to pounce on him from the corner of his sight. It took no longer than a moment for him to realize it – he _slept_!

 _Noona! C-Can you believe it?! I actually slept last night!_

"Of course I can." Ahri's voice came as a soothing song. Something he didn't think he'd feel so early in the morning. "I held you while you slept last night, who knew someone snoring would look so adorable."

A blush roared across his whiskered face. _Y-You held me?_

"As if I haven't done that before. Naruto…how are you feeling?" Ahri asked as she paced the mindscape, crimson eyes jumping to the Curse Mark looming above. "No pain? Fatigue?"

 _Nothing at all! I feel amazing!_ Naruto beamed so brightly, she could feel the rays of sunlight reflecting off his pearly whites. _I feel like I can take on the world today!_

"Slow down, Dong-saeng." Ahri chuckled. "You've been in a slump for almost a month – you need some time to take it slow and get back into the swing of training and fighting. Got it?"

 _Mah, mah, Noona. I got this!_ _I'm going to get some training in, maybe that'll inspire my friends to get off their butts._

"You are insufferable." Ahri laughed, holding her hand against her face. "I trust you won't overdo it?"

 _Overdoing it is my middle name, Ahri._ Naruto walked from the balcony, throwing off his jumpsuit revealing his toned torso in his mirror. Remembering Itachi's words from the night before, he gazed at his reflection, the arm that shook and the hand that still took lives no matter the issue. He gazed at his legs, the very appendages that took him places, both life-threatening and the mess hall to have a kind bowl of ramen. Then his eyes glanced at the sapphire blues that watched patiently, glimmering with a soft curiosity and excitement merged into one.

 _Root yourself. A fortress with a strong foundation can–_ Naruto froze. The joy he felt forgotten for just a few moments only to return twice as strong. The emotions he hadn't felt in a month had returned, blaring like an orchestral fanfare, welcoming his arrival. _Foundation, huh?_

Washing himself quickly, he glanced at the scars he had from the countless fights he suffered through. Soap and bubbles dipped into the creases and the damages done to his flesh, though nothing more than a soft near-nonexistent pressure against his body. Running the cool, yet warm, water against his muscles, the tense moment he felt, rolled away, kneaded by the sharp beats of the shower water, smashing against his skin.

Throwing a clean jumpsuit on and slipping into his chunin vest, the boy left his room and practically hopped through the rounded halls of the great Uchiha Hideout. His sandals clapped and beat tremendously through the stone halls, echoing to the floors below and the men and women lucky enough to have him on their floor. He skipped down the stairwells, feeling the rush of cool winds and beating sunlight – even the scent of garlic rice, steamed rice, even the healthy alternative, brown rice. All kinds of foods were cooked and steamed and even fried as the chunin burst through the varying levels of the structure.

Coming to a halt, a man was talking with a busty blonde woman about something. A rather peaceful conversation the man sighed in what sounded like relief. The woman rested a hand on his shoulder and even embraced him in a hug, something that he returned without a moment lost. They parted, beaming smiles on their faces and even a few kind compliments shared between them. Whatever it was, Naruto was intrigued. He never knew Itachi and Tsunade were so buddy-buddy. As the boy walked closer, all he managed to discern was Tsunade whispering the words _tell them the good news_.

Itachi turned on his heels, and smiled warmly at the boy. "Naruto…your face…did you…?"

The smile started as a crack across his whiskered face before spreading into a wide toothy grin. "I actually slept, Itachi-niisan! After you left, I talked to the Kyuubi for a while before the next thing I know, everything's black and I'm dreaming of beautiful scenes, beautiful people, just…perfection. Once the dream ended, I woke up to find that it was already morning and…and…Itachi? What were you and Tsunade-baa-chan talking about?"

There was a flash of fear that dashed across Naruto's body. He had to make sure the old hag was nowhere to be found. Before he could act further, Itachi placed a caring hand on the boy's shoulder, calming him immediately. "Naruto. Please…there's no need to be so tense. When Sasuke awakes, I'll tell the both of you."

"Fine." Naruto nodded. "Say, Itachi-niisan, what's in store for us today? I'm ready to do anything you might need me to do!"

"The shinobi on the bridge need help fortifying it and the villagers below need help building proper housing and of course, shinobi need help with piping for plumbing and proper waste management." Itachi thought for a moment. "Afterwards, if you manage to help some of them, I can teach you some shurikenjutsu techniques? And then, I'll have news to share with you and the rest of the shinobi forces with Tsunade."

"Something big huh?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrow.

Itachi shook his head, fighting the chuckle. "Whoa, Naruto. Nothing of that sort."

"Right, she's like forty years older than you." The boy laughed, walking away from the Uchiha. "I look forward to training later!"

It took no more than a few minutes but he found himself digging holes and trenches against the various levels of the hideout, with an army of clones helping hoist and set pipes. In the villager's district, another army of clones could be seen hammering away at wooden walls and beam supports, even piling mud for the hovel walls that the people were desperate to create. On the great bridge, sandbags were filled, tightened and stacked properly, while Naruto learned from experienced jōnin how to set proper fuinjutsu traps. Many were surprised by how well he took to the teachings.

In the highest floor of the terraced hideout, Sasuke woke up, rubbing his tired eyes. Running through his regular morning routine, he splashed water on his face and glared at his reflection. A heat unlike any other burned into his shoulder, emanating from the Curse Mark. The epicenter of his maladies recently, but remembering Naruto's struggle and his fight, he forced himself to ignore the seal. Activating his Sharingan, the three tomoe spun about the black pupil. The crimson of his eyes surprisingly glowed cool, instead of warm like his eyes usually would.

Taking a quick shower, he lathered and soaped, shampooed and even used conditioner, making him laugh. He doubted any of his male compatriots used conditioner as religiously as he did. Uchiha took hair care as seriously as their training. Looking good required the utmost dedication after all. Shutting his shower off, he stepped out, dried and quickly threw on a black shinobi onesie, listening to the soft jingle of the chainmail mesh sewn into the fabrics. He could hear from within his bathroom, an orchestra of hammers beating against wood, the harsh flat tone a near crack rather than a song.

Walking from his room, he yawned once more, knowing full well his brother must be somewhere talking and planning their next move with the new Hokage, Tsunade. Walking down the steps, he was greeted by the knowing nod from a near zombie-like Shikamaru, the slightly caked up Ino and of course, Choji was already snacking on a family-sized bag of potato chips. His crunching and munching sounding more pleasant than the synchronized hammering below.

"Good morning, guys." Sasuke nodded. "How're you today?"

"I heard Itachi was going to announce something to the shinobi forces later. So, I was told I had to look my best." Ino stopped walking and looked over her appearance. "I _don't_ look my best."

"It's troublesome." Shikamaru groaned. "I was in the middle of a nap, but my mother woke me up and told me to get dressed in my shinobi uniform, chunin vest and all. It's just an announcement, they can tell me what I miss after I wake up."

 _Nom, nom, nom._ If Choji said something, Sasuke couldn't discern what it was. His round cheeks were already covered in an endless shower of shards of potato chips, sticking firmly against his skin. The swirls drawn upon his face, unrecognizable by the wash of junk food he was practically inhaling like the madman he was. _Nom, nom, nom._

"Any idea what he's going to say?" Sasuke asked. "He never said anything about that to me."

"I heard it from my dad who heard it from Tsunade herself while she was working on healing some of the sick in the hospital." Ino answered. "He didn't say much aside from the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi have to look our best. Even the Sarutobi are rummaging like crazy trying to get prepared. I wonder if it's some kind of ceremony."

"Who knows?" Sasuke shrugged. "Any plans for today, aside from some announcement?"

"Nope." Ino shook her head. Both boys on either side of her did the same. Choji didn't – he opened another bag, just as large as the previous one causing Sasuke to deadpan.

 _Where the hell do the Akimichi put these stashes of junk food?! It's unnerving._ The Uchiha shuddered, watching the plump boy inhale yet another family-sized bag. _I…I just hope whomever he ends up with, can cook enough to feed an army._

"I'm going to talk with my brother for a moment, see what's happening." Sasuke said. "Maybe look for Sakura, and maybe we could have a friendly training match, Team Seven vs Team Ten? Sound fun?"

"After the ceremony please, I didn't put on this make up only to have it smeared and ruined." Ino reminded with a huff. "Waiting can't be too difficult?"

"Not at all." The Uchiha smirked and walked off, leaving the three to their devices.

His sandals clapped against the stairwells, quieter and far more nimble than his blond counterpart. Stopping just a floor below, he knocked on a wooden door and waited a few moments in complete silence. A shuffle was heard and a few complaints and curses before the door swung open. Greeting him with a beaming pearly smile, accentuating her bubblegum pink hair, Sakura's emerald eyes went from fearful to joyous in only a few seconds. They curled with her lips as a smile broke across her pale face. Neither said a word, just smiling like mute morons, onyx eyes locked so tightly with emerald.

"Sakura…"

"Sasuke…"

"You look good." The boy managed to choke. "I…uh…"

"Thank you…Sasuke…" Her voice trailed as she fiddled with the laces of her outfit. "I…"

"Want to go for a walk before the announcement?" The boy said with a single breath. "I-I mean…"

"I'd love to. Give me a few seconds to get my sandals on…" Shutting the door, another clashing and a shuffling of feet against wooden floors caught his attention. A bellowing clash nearly put him on edge, it sounded like falling pans and a bothered cat screeching! Without warning, the door burst open to reveal Sakura sliding her feet through her sandals and hopping forward, trying to balance herself.

Not a thought processed in the Uchiha's mind as he reached forward, catching her shoulders before she could fall forward. It was the first time he had ever held someone so innocently, nor as intimately. Sakura felt her breath hitch at the proximity as her sandal finally slipped into place. The heat they ignored for so long feeling so strong, almost as if hiding it away only served to strengthen what they felt. She backed away, creating a respectable pocket of space between their torsos, really hitting the nail on the head. His hands hadn't left her shoulders, nor had he broken his gaze from her eyes.

"Ahem! Well, well, what do we have here?" A loud, obnoxious voice sounded. "A little too early for that, love-birds."

"Urgh, Ino-pig." Sakura mumbled. The blush on her cheeks flashing through different shades of varying crimson.

"R-Right…so about that walk?"

Outside in the beaming warmth, Naruto hammered away, laughing with the adults and villagers that told jokes and funny stories trying to enjoy the heat they found themselves under. The boy fell to take a seat, sipping away at the water bottle a worker tossed him, he relished in the cool liquid running through his body, soothing his muscles and his arms. The men talked about their wives, their girlfriends and even their future prospects – all had a story to tell, bringing laughter from all around, even the clones who took their own breaks to listen to the valuable lessons to learn from more experienced men.

"…and that's why you never try to convince a woman otherwise." A villager cackled.

Naruto fell back, holding his stomach and bellowing his own guffaw. _I thought you were crazy at first, but now I know that's just how women are!_

"Har, har, har. Laugh it up, Naru-tard. I'm gonna kick your ass when we train tonight!" Ahri's threat was received by deaf ears.

 _Oh come on, Ahri! It was funny as fuck!_

"Oh right, because somehow connecting spontaneous combustion of insulted water buffalo butts to the raging hormonal throes of a woman unknowing of what she wants is _so_ funny." Ahri scowled.

 _Noona…don't be like that!_

"I'm gonna be like that!" She hissed. "I'm a woman too, you know!"

 _And are you trying to tell me you aren't like a flaming water buffalo ass?_

"I can kill you, you know that right?"

 _But you won't. I love you too, y'know?_ Naruto snickered.

Suddenly, a flicker of clothing and a flapping of crow wings, silenced the laughter. From the crows, Itachi stood wearing his old ANBU armor, shined and in near pristine condition. The villagers rose from their seats, bowing with both adoration and respect. "Naruto, come with me, Sasuke is awake, so I have something to share with the both of you."

The blond didn't even need another word. He reached forward holding onto the Uchiha and disappeared, almost similar to the replacement technique. The world he saw whirled and whipped in an endless slew of cloudlike colors billowing and contracting against the cerulean canvas that was the sky. Before he could get lost in the colors and the amazing beauty and grandeur of it all, everything beautiful disappeared and was replaced by Itachi's personal office, which was interestingly right next to Tsunade's office and personal operation room.

Sasuke was sitting in a seat with Sakura right next to him, the two of them talking about various things. The two of them went silent and rose to their feet only to be stopped by the open hand of Itachi. "No need for greetings. You can stay seated."

Naruto nodded and beamed a smile at his two teammates and in turn, received the same treatment. Itachi watched the three interact, somehow overcome with nostalgia. Sakura and Sasuke greeted Naruto as a close friend, surely they regarded each other as such. It made his heart swell seeing Sasuke so happy and genuine, especially now with no one to hold him back or whisper murderous sweet-nothings into his head.

"Naruto, Sasuke." Itachi said, bringing their attention to him. "And Sakura. I have something important to tell the three of you. While I was more than certain that letting you know individually was a good plan, albeit highly impulsive, I would rather deal with both of you at once."

"What do you mean, niisan?" Sasuke asked.

"I…" The man struggled to find the right words. "I'm dying. This may seem like a weight falling on your shoulders, but know that it isn't as bad as it seems. At least anymore. Sasuke, Naruto, before either of you say something, let me finish. I don't know what I have, but it's a disease that has no medical research so that would mean no known cure. A doctor I visited before I returned to Konoha, gave me a maximum three and a half years to live."

"W-What?" Sasuke shook in his chair. Naruto did the same, feeling tears well in their eyes.

"Lady Tsunade though…" Itachi shut his eyes, letting a rare great toothy smile open across his face. "She isn't known as the greatest medical ninja in the history of the Shinobi world for nothing. After spending the last month researching my blood and my disease up close and personal with Shizune-san working around the clock, they found that there is a chance to save me and heal my wounded body – along with your friend Rock Lee. While our debilitations are different, if she succeeds in healing the two of us, entire new fields of medical research would be opened – our bodies would be healed and we could continue living up to our potentials."

"But…?" Sasuke gripped his friends. "Why is there always a but?!"

"But…there is a fifty-fifty chance of survival for both of us. My disease is too proactive and–" Itachi groaned as a pair of arms wrapped around him. Soon enough, two more pairs did the same, holding him tightly.

The three kids held onto him, hugging him as if he were going to disappear. "Brother…I believe you'll survive…truly."

"I've lost enough people close to me…I don't intend to lose you too, Itachi-niisan." Naruto smiled.

"What do you say, Itachi?" Tsunade smiled. "You think you're ready to go through with the operation?"

* * *

Kurotsuchi punched a wooden dummy with all her might. Splinters danced about, rocking and tumbling against the stone training ground. Whipping around, she snapped her arm forward, sending a flurry of kunai and shuriken in wide arcs, snapping at perfect bullseyes and majority green zone hits close to the center. Sighing at her handiwork, not too bad, she told herself constantly, keeping her self-esteem and trust in her abilities strong.

There were many among her peers plotting and whispering behind her back, even those among her grandfather's most trusted circle. She couldn't blame them – what her grandfather and father was planning, was absolutely insane – maddening even. Clenching her fists, earth chakra solidified, covering her forearms with stone. Jabbing forward, her powerful gauntlets of earth ruptured the last of the training dummies, completely shattering the hanging targets.

She sighed to herself, letting her eyes wander across the training ground. There were shinobi of all ages and rank wandering the fields, either running laps, burning through calisthenics and even few who sparred with one another in the distant clearings between rock formations. The village was awake with life, with many already at work or training for their missions that they would have to take later in the day. Not her business though – what they did with their free time was up to them.

Cutting off her chakra, the rocks that formed over her arms disappeared, shattering and nearly expelled from her flesh. As the stones tumbled over one another, clicking and clacking in a giant heap. "Damn it…"

Clapping her hands together, dust and powder popped off, wafting about the field and disappearing completely. She ignored the inquisitive looks and statements from her shinobi and kunoichi peers, and she even ignored the kiss-asses, their kind words and the praise. Their faces annoyed her, smothering her with things she didn't want to be feeling.

She pushed through the crowd, practically marching through the crowds. There was an unspoken ire in the face she witnessed and the eyes slanting her way. News of her fathers and grandfathers plot must have reached the ears of the regular people. Ignoring even the whispers from those crass enough to even scowl in her presence, she walked along, her feet clapping against stone steps and natural trenches against the mountainous layout of the village.

There were men and women within the markets haggling prices, while there were shinobi, chunin and jōnin patrolling rooftops as if the village were on edge and preparing for an invasion. Now, she was definitely confused. Taking to the air, her clothing whipped through the air, waving and dancing about, flowing through her short cropped hair and the maroon lapel covering her right leg. She landed on a rooftop, taking in the sights, sounds and scents hovering about.

"I wonder what's happening over there." Her pink eyes narrowed with her brows furrowing tight. "That doesn't look good…"

Jumping through the air, flipping and landing smoothly as before, she took in the sight. A small army of men and women gathered at the gates, holding weapons and shouting warnings. Platoons of shinobi gathered at the gates, gathering chakra as they flew across the village skies. "What the hell is going on?!"

There were genin, from the look of their uniforms, waving their arms trying to warn people to stay away. Before she could move, sirens blared violently, ringing and screaming across the village. Shinobi were massing to the gates of the village, preparing their weapons and their ninjutsu. Bursting into action, she zoomed over rooftops, past residential districts and businesses. Practically dancing through the air, she landed in the middle of the street, cleaving through the growing crowd of terrified, but interested civilians.

"Genin, what the hell is happening?!" Kurotsuchi shouted, pushing through the burly villagers. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Lady Kurotsuchi! Uh…a small army showed up in front of the village gates!" A genin managed to choke. "But they're different!"

"Different how?" Kurotsuchi sped through hand seals and walked past the child in front of her. "Let me handle this!"

"Stay back!" She could hear a jōnin roaring. "I won't hesitate! Stay back, damn it!"

A shinobi threw a kunai, letting it whistle through the air. Once it hit its target, the girl had never felt so terrified in her life.

* * *

Itachi stood beside the blonde haired Hokage, ignoring the giggling whispers of female shinobi and the blushes and cries of praise. With his arms behind his back and his shoulders held strong and bold, the boy stared off into the field of men and women dressed in blues and greens. Their red swirls and hitai-ate visible in the late afternoon orange glow. With a hand raised, the shinobi whispering and talking with one another went quiet.

Naruto sitting beside Shikamaru and the rest of the chunin crossed his arms over his chest, fully prepared for the coming speech. The Nara beside him was great and figuring out situations and how they would progress, several hundred steps worth of information, but this, he couldn't figure out it out. Either he was playing hooky or his mind truly couldn't get it. Their conversation and constant jokes to their genin friends sitting in the back cut short, blue and brown were locked with the greatest of the Konoha shinobi standing on the stage.

Behind them, the Clan Heads stood proudly, their hands behind their backs as well in parade dress. Not a word from their lips, nor a hint of sadness. They in fact, looked proud and even excited for what was to come. Nevertheless, ANBU sat in the front of the congregation, jōnin behind them, chunin in the center, genin behind and civilians in the rear, all awaited the coming speech.

"Thank you, for gathering here today." Tsunade said. "We have fought hard in the last month. We've lost friends and family, comrades and teachers – gained all the same. We have given our blood, our sweat, and our tears for the dream that we'll take our home back from the clutches of a madman. I cannot express how proud I am to have returned to this great village – to her great and resilient people. We are men and women hidden in the leaves, we are the descendants of the sacrifices made by the Shodaime, the Niidaime, the Sandaime and the Yondaime. Their dreams and their hopes for the future lie with us. And I swear it to you, as your Godaime Hokage – I will continue their hopes and strive for the future they always wanted."

"But I won't ignore the obstacles that have fallen in our place. We are in a precarious situation, an awkward place to be between nations and lacking allies completely. This is a time of transition and the power vacuum that would form any accident, should something happen to me, will leave our rebellion without proper leadership. So, with a heavy heart, I have already decided my successor, should something happen to me or my jōnin commander, Nara Shikaku."

"He has worked with me since I arrived, he has worked with each and every one of you as well, leading the rebellion when it needed a leader. He is skilled beyond comprehension and is more than qualified for this seat. As the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, I am proud to name Uchiha Itachi as my official successor and future Rokudaime Hokage." Tsunade smiled brightly.

The massed crowd burst into action, screaming and cheering at the top of their lungs. They stamped their feet and clapped their hands. The joyous celebration was so instantaneous, Itachi's stoic expression had faulted, replaced with confusion and genuine surprise – something he rarely felt. Suddenly, the people rushed forward starting with the jōnin, wishing Tsunade and Itachi good health and success in their careers. Many shook their hands, praising and almost crying at the news.

As the jōnin rushed by, still singing songs of victory and thanking the gods for their turn of fortune. Chunin followed next, doing the same thing, just far less professional. Kotetsu and Izumo nodded at the Uchiha, happily taking his hands into theirs. They bowed deeply, beaming smiles at their Hokage before turning with the rest of their comrades before them, cheering and singing their bellowing songs. Soon enough, Naruto and Shikamaru arrived, both of them huffing and puffing from how hot their faces were, trying to fight through the larger chunin clamoring over each other and crushing them in their pressure.

"Itachi-niisan!" Naruto shouted over the beats and the bellowing shinobi. "Itachi-niisan! I can't believe it! You're going to be Hokage!"

"Hopefully not for a while, Naruto." Itachi winked. "Tsunade-sama is more than willing to take the brunt of it first."

"Baa-chan." Naruto smirked. "I look forward to aggravating you more."

"Naruto." Tsunade chuckled, ruffling his blond hair. "I look forward to it, doofus."

"Our luck is turning around!" A jōnin shouted, garnering a well-earned wave of screams and hollers of approval. "The Senju and Uchiha are back!"

As the chunin filed away, the genin rushed in, gawking at the two on stage, proclaiming their hopes and plans to meet their greatness with a few girls unable to even speak, giggling and practically worshiping Itachi and Tsunade and the ground they walked. They were shooed away by an angry Uchiha practically marching forward. Stopping just at the edge of the stage, Sasuke looked to his brother with innocent eyes that Itachi hadn't seen in years. Tears welled at the corners of his little brother's eyes so strongly, he did the only thing he thought of doing.

He jumped from the stage and embraced Sasuke as tightly as he could. "Everything is going to change for us, little brother. The Sun will shine on our clan again. I swear it."

"You're going to be healed – you're bringing honor back to our clan…Itachi…" Sasuke smiled as he hugged the boy back. "We…we've been avenged, niisan."

Releasing him, Itachi nodded, fighting his own tears. "We have. The Uchiha Clan is free from the bonds that held us – we are free from the past. From the moment Tsunade-sama declared me her successor – the threads of destiny shifted and changed. We make our own futures now, little brother, we decide for ourselves what kind of Clan we become. Never again, will I let the past dictate our future."

"Never again." Sasuke nodded. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"Don't thank me, Sasuke." Tsunade smiled softly. "Your brother is a true fighter – he knows what it takes to be a shinobi."

At those words, Naruto disappeared into his mindscape, staring at the image of Uchiha Itachi standing amongst comrades and friends. "You know…I thought I'd be mad at the announcement of a Rokudaime, after all, I accepted Tsunade's appointment, but I can't think of anyone better than Itachi. He's everything I wish I could be."

"I don't think he'd like that." Ahri noted.

"Why not?" Naruto gaped. "Itachi is so…incredible…"

"He wouldn't want you to become like him – I feel he'd want you to be better than him." The Gumiho continued. "I don't mean skills and abilities, I mean mentally, philosophically, metaphorically. He carried such trauma and pain for years, knowing full well the dishonor and pain he would bring to his name and image, but he did so anyway because it was the right thing to do. One day, Naruto, you'll be just as deserving of the title of Nanadaime Hokage!"

Naruto blushed, letting warmth dance across his features. "Being named his successor in front of hundreds of people…?"

His heart raced, beating at his rib cage. Ahri somehow appeared behind him, her breasts squishing against his back through her Hanbok. He shivered feeling her breath dance against his ear, even her lithe fingers, soft and smooth, tickled against his hands lacing between his own phalanges. She leaned in, her lips nearly dancing against his ears.

"You're going to be strong…stronger than any shinobi before you." Ahri whispered. Naruto seemed to melt like putty as her hands held him tighter. "But not before I **whip you into shape!** "

Flipping him around, he rolled through the watery floor of the mindscape, completely sober and eyes widening with each step the Gumiho took. "O-Okay! Training just started!"

" **You compared me to a flaming water buffalo's ass! You're gonna pay for that, _Dong-saeng_!** "

* * *

Smoke fell from the sky with great streams of fire eating away at the banners that jumped and waved in the warming winds. Rubble decorated the village streets and crumbling structures creaked before snapping completely. Explosions shook the village, sending rubble into the air, shaking the buildings down to their foundations.

In the chaos of it all, there was a young girl, trapped underneath a boulder. Doing what she can, she tried to fight back against the weight of it all, unable to do anything substantial. Releasing a powerful roar, she channeled chakra to her back and through her arms crushing the rubble beneath her awaking the children she protected.

"L-Lady Kurotsuchi?" A genin managed to croak. A large gash on the child's forehead poured blood at a dangerous rate. "W-What happened?"

"I…I don't know!" Kurotsuchi screamed as she forced the boulder off of her back. Releasing a sigh that ripped through her body, the genin trapped and the civilians she managed to save, began to crawl from the underwork, tumbling over the destruction.

"W-What do we do?" A genin asked, her voice cracking as she did.

Kurotsuchi struggled to gain some sense of balance. "…Father…Grandfather…"

Leaving the children, she began to shuffle forward. "Genin, get the civilians to a safe house, a bunker…just get them out of the streets. Once you're done, go and look for more of our comrades trapped under the debris."

"What do we do if we can't move the debris?" A genin asked, on the verge of hyperventilating.

The woman turned on her heels, a fire burning in her pink eyes. "You will do everything you can for your people, genin! Do you understand me?! Save our families and find our comrades!"

Hearing their little feet beat through the destruction, she turned her attention to the battle at hand. Sensing hundreds of chakra signatures battling it out through the ruins, she knew she had to go. Stumbling forward, barely able to see straight, she fell to a knee, coughing and writhing with pain. Bones shattered no doubt, a few joints dislocated, her head pounded with unbelievable pain – it would be hard to get to her father and grandfather now.

Hissing and groaning like a cripple, she tried to rise to her feet, but a strong and powerful hand rested on her bare shoulder, causing her to relax all of a sudden. Turning her head just enough, she was bombarded by the natural colors of browns, greys, yellows, reds and all the colors of a flamboyant man. On his back a great scroll was tied and strapped, almost covered by his long whipping spikey white hair. What really made the man stand out, was the pair of red lines leading from his thin black eyes.

"I…I can't believe it…"

The man smiled softly, kneeling beside her. "I am Jiraiya the Gallant! Don't worry – I'm here to help!"

* * *

 **So, Iwagakure is under attack by an unknown force!  
** **Itachi is named Tsunade's successor!**

 **I'm telling y'all, we're getting close to the super fun part of this story!**

 **But as Thanos said; Perfectly Balanced, as all things should be  
Take that statement however you want ;)**

 **Review, Follow and Favorite!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


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